Fix You
by scribeninja
Summary: A casual, passionate relationship gets serious really quick when a broken condom leads Sookie to discover she's pregnant. How does a new couple deal with a pregnancy they didn't plan for? Eric/Sookie AH Updated daily! Collaboration with makesmyheadspin!
1. Prologue

**Hey guys! Because of makesmyheadspin's massive amount of writing, I'm going to be posting our newest collab on my profile. For those of you who might not know, MMHS and I have been doing a lot of co-writing. She takes either Eric or Sookie and I take the other and out pops a story. If you'd like to read any of our previous stories, check out her profile. **

**In this story I wrote Sookie again, and Meg took Eric. Enjoy! **

* * *

Fix You - Prologue

We stumbled into the apartment at close to two in the morning. We were both drunk and sweaty from being outside for most of the night. It was July in Chicago and we were just getting back from watching the fireworks downtown. We spent most of the crowded train ride back from the lakefront making out like a couple of teenagers. Sookie and I had been seeing each other for about four months and we hadn't quite left the honeymoon stage just yet.

I had just barely kicked the door closed before I pressed her up against it. I kissed her neck and started tugging her tank top up. Her skin was slick and salty from the sweat and the little bit of rain that had started falling in the last block of our walk to my apartment. The kisses broke long enough for me to pull her shirt off, and then I ditched mine as well. Sookie pushed me toward the bedroom with a hunger in her eyes that made me want to tackle her right there in the living room.

There was something about this girl that drove me absolutely insane. On the street she was sweet, friendly and extremely polite. Once I got her behind closed doors, however, she was just the right amount of freaky for me. She was the perfect balance as far as I was concerned, and I liked spending time with her even when we weren't naked. We weren't in love with each other, at least as far as I knew. I liked her a lot, but I wasn't in love with her... not yet. If she felt that way about me she had yet to say so.

We were a tangled, stumbling mess heading back toward my bedroom. It seemed like we were always touching each other in some capacity, whether it was holding hands or something much more intimate than that. I wanted to be around her all the time, and when I wasn't I wanted to be. Like I said, I wasn't in love yet, but it was getting there. By the time we got back to my bedroom her bra was gone and my pants were open.

She pushed me back onto my bed and wiggled out of her tiny shorts before kicking them to the side along with her flip-flops. I pulled her closer to me and kissed her stomach and breasts while she ran her fingers through my hair, moaning and wiggling a little bit with every kiss I pressed against her heated skin. I tugged her panties down and she kicked those away as well.

"Beautiful," I said against her stomach while my hands moved up her thighs and grabbed her ass. She had a great ass-round and firm, perfect for slapping, which she seemed to enjoy on occasion.

"Baby I want you inside me so bad," she whimpered, and then bent to kiss me.

If any other girl called me baby, they'd be history but it was cute the way she did it, and since it wasn't too often, I didn't mind it. I wasn't really one for pet names, but then before Sookie I hadn't really been one for relationships either, so I guessed she was breaking down all kinds of walls with me.

"Lay down," I told her, and stood up while she crawled to the center of my bed.

I watched her shift onto her back and open her legs for me. I got my pants off in record time and went over to the nightstand to get a condom because even though I was drunk, I wasn't stupid. Her fingers roamed from her nipples to her stomach and then down between her thighs. She touched herself, moaning my name while she did it. I dropped the condom on the bed beside her and then settled myself between her thighs.

I sucked her finger and growled at the taste of her. She was fucking addictive. So far everything about her seemed absolutely perfect. When I released her finger she put her hand in my hair to guide my head to her center. I kissed her lower lips before parting them with my thumbs and licking the length of her slit. When her hips started to move I held her down with one hand while the other started working her entrance. She was always so hot and tight.

I worked a finger into her and started to flick my tongue over her clit, giving her time to adjust before I added another finger. I pumped them in and out of her slowly, watching her face as she got closer and closer to coming. Her hands busied themselves at her breasts, twisting and pinching her nipples while I fucked her with my mouth and fingers.

But before she could come I pulled out of her and got up on my knees to put the condom on. I couldn't wait any longer to be inside her. It was true that we'd already had sex twice that day. First thing in the morning when she woke me up with a blowjob that had my eyes rolling in the back of my head, and then again when we were in the shower before leaving my apartment for the evening. If it was possible to do such a thing, I would gladly make fucking Sookie my full-time job.

As soon as I got the condom on Sookie sat up and pushed me to lie down. She was especially fond of riding me, which I didn't mind at all. She straddled my waist and leaned forward to kiss me. I reached around her and resumed teasing her pussy with my fingers until she finally broke the kiss and sat up. My hand moved to grip my cock instead, and after rubbing the head of it against her clit a few times I positioned it so it was right at her opening. Her hands braced on my chest and she started to lower herself.

"Fuck, you feel so good," she moaned when I was only half way in.

I rubbed her clit as she slid down, giving her that little extra bit of stimulation, and I was just barely completely buried in her when her pussy started to clench and squeeze me. Fuck, that felt good.

"That's it, Sookie, come for me," I said, watching her eyes squeeze closed and her head fall back a little.

Her hips started to rock a moment later when the high had passed, and in no time we were grinding against each other, both of us grunting and groaning between kisses. I plucked and teased her nipples and she nibbled on my neck. We rolled over and I pushed her legs up so her knees were closer to her chest. I was able to thrust deeper inside her, and as a result she was clawing at my back. The headboard starting slapping against the wall in time with my thrusts, and when Sookie came again, she took me with her.

I thrust into her hard one last time, and it made her scream. I groaned loudly when I came, and then dropped on top of her. Both of us were breathing hard and definitely sweatier than we had been when we first entered the apartment. I kissed her neck and collarbone while trying to get myself together, but all I could think was that I wanted to fuck her again, and planned to as soon as I was able. Being around Sookie meant being in a constant state of arousal. All I wanted was for her to be naked and ready for me, and she seemed to want the same thing.

"How soon can we do that again?" she asked with a small laugh.

"Soon," I promised, and lifted my head to kiss her.

When I pulled out of her she whimpered a little, but I had to get rid of the condom.

"I'm going to get water. You want some?" I asked her, knowing that we were likely to both be hungover the next morning.

"Yes please!" she called out after me.

I went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water for us to share. When I got back to bed she was lying on her side in a very come hither pose that my cock immediately responded to, even though it had barely been five minutes since I fucked her last.

"You're gonna kill me, woman," I said once I was sitting against the headboard, and I opened the bottle of water. After taking a few big gulps, I handed the bottle to her.

"At least you'll die a happy man," she smirked, and then took a few drinks herself.

We passed the water back and forth until the bottle was empty, and I was reaching over to put it on the nightstand when I felt her breath on my dick. She kissed the head of it and then started licking in attempts to revive me in the best way she could. Since I wasn't hard yet she could get my entire cock in her mouth, and it felt fucking awesome. Her head bobbed, her hand stroked and before either of us knew it I was reaching for another condom.

I tore it open with my teeth, and Sookie took the rubber from me to put it on with her mouth. That was a fun little trick she'd revealed the week after we started having sex, as if I wasn't into her enough already. Once the condom was in place, she moved over and got on her hands and knees, leaving that gorgeous ass of hers up in the air for me. How could I ever decline such a wonderful invitation?

I didn't.

I got up on my knees behind her and said, "Put your hands behind your back, Sookie."

She did as I asked, and I held them at her lower back while I pushed into her. She moaned loudly and turned her head so she was looking back at me as I started to pound into her fast and hard.

"Ugh! Eric! Fuck that feels so good!" she cried.

I let go of her hands and she started to back up to meet my thrusts. I pulled her up by her shoulders and held her in place. Her moans got louder and the sound of my hips slapping against her ass echoed throughout the room. Her pussy started to clench again, and I slowed down a little. Sookie threw herself forward when she came, landing face down on the mattress. She clutched the sheets when I started pounding into her again, her moans coming in gasps over and over again, and she came again a very short time later.

Finally I couldn't hold on anymore and let myself go, filling her with deep, hard thrusts until I shot my load into the condom. While I was still buried inside Sookie I fell to the side so I was spooned up behind her. She turned her head to kiss me as I pulled out of her again. We really needed to figure out something other than condoms for birth control. We were both clean, that much I knew, but her body hadn't reacted when when she'd tried the pill so she'd stopped taking it.

She had been considering other options, but had yet to settle on one. I knew she had a doctor's appointment coming up to go over those options with her doctor. In the meantime, we were spending a small fortune on condoms. I didn't trust the pull 'n pray method, and as much as I liked Sookie I knew that neither of us was ready to be a parent. Aside from that, I didn't really know where our relationship was going. She was my girflriend, but it was too soon to say if this was going to be a forever sort of thing, or just until it wasn't fun for us anymore.

I got up again to get rid of the condom and wondered what someone would think if they went poking through my trash. Sookie had spent the night at my place three times in the last week, and we were fucking every chance we got. That's a lot of wasted condoms, believe me. I went to the bathroom to clean myself up a little bit, but then decided to shower since I felt pretty disgusting. Not to mention, it might help sober me up a little bit more before I finally passed out. The sun would be rising soon if the rain didn't clear up.

"Room for one more?" Sookie asked a minute later, hugging me from behind and kissing me between my shoulder blades.

"I don't know, it might cost you," I smirked over my shoulder.

"Oh yeah? What's the going rate?" she played along like a pro.

"A back massage," I said, which seemed to catch her off guard. "With a happy ending."

She laughed and said, "I think I can handle that."

"Well you have to if you want in on this shower," I told her.

"Do I have to pay up right away?"

"No, we can hold off until tomorrow. I'm getting tired," I said, and pulled back the shower curtain.

"Me too," she stretched up to kiss me, and then stepped into the tub.

We started off pretty well behaved, just washing off and getting the grime of the day off our bodies. But of course the good behavior didn't last, and Sookie ended up on her knees, sucking me off before we got out of the shower. That, in turn, meant that I parked her on the vanity in the bathroom and ended up fingering her while we made out some more. God, we just couldn't get enough of each other.

"Okay, enough," she said after coming a second time. "I can't come anymore."

"Sure you can," I nibbled her ear.

"Not tonight," she panted. "Come on, let's go to bed."

"If you insist," I kissed her forehead and handed her the toothbrush she'd started keeping at my place.

We brushed our teeth but didn't bother to put on pajamas before getting into bed. All they would do is get in the way in the morning, and Sookie was particularly fond of starting her day with a bang. Thunder rumbled overhead and lightning brightened the sky for a few moments before everything went back to being pitch black outside. Raindrops smacked against the window, and after saying a quiet goodnight to each other, both of us passed out.

It wasn't until the following morning when Sookie was throwing away the water bottle and condom wrappers that I knew anything had gone wrong the night before.

"Oh fuck me," she muttered. "Eric wake up," she started to shake me awake.

"What's wrong?" I asked without opening my eyes.

"Did you forget to knot the condoms last night?" she asked me, since I usually did before tossing them so they wouldn't make a bigger mess.

"No, I don't think so," I opened an eye. "Why?"

"Because if you didn't, that means at least one of them broke," she said with a nervous expression on her face.

Well fuck.**  
**

* * *

**I'm sure some of you are rolling your eyes and thinking you know just where this story is going to go. If you are, I'm asking you to keep an open mind. This one has a total of 30 chapters and will update daily, so read it once a day or check back later. We hope you enjoy it either way! **


	2. Decisions

**I just wanted to note that we did indeed set this story before the Morning After Pill was legal here in the states. Wouldn't be much of a story if she could just swallow a pill and be done with it!  
**

* * *

Chapter 1 - Decisions

**SPOV**

Two weeks after the condom broke, I was officially late. I knew I had to bite the bullet and buy a pregnancy test, or go to the doctor, but I didn't want to face it. I wasn't ready to be a mother, and it was entirely too soon for Eric and I to even talk about having kids, let alone actually have one. I knew it was our own fault too. We shouldn't have relied on just one method of birth control, and now the consequences were very real.

I wasn't sure if I should take the test with Eric or not, and I had no idea how he was handling the situation when I was barely doing that myself. Mostly I avoided bringing it up because it scared me shitless. Not just the being a mother part, but what it would do to Eric and I.

We had only been dating for four months when it happened, and while I really, really liked him, and knew I was falling for him, I wasn't in love with him yet. Eric was a great guy, he was fun to be around, and he made me laugh like nobody else could. And then there was the sex. Sex with Eric was always good. Great, even. Phenomenal. It never ended with either of us the least bit unsatisfied. But in the last two weeks even though he'd been trying to put the moves on me, I wouldn't let it happen. I was just too freaked out.

Since I wanted to know what he wanted, I decided to call him before going out and getting a test. We hadn't talked too much about the possibility of me being pregnant because we didn't know if I was or not.

His phone only rang a couple of times before he picked up.

"Hey Sook," he said happily.

"Hey," I said, and suddenly found that my mouth was dry and I couldn't get the words out.

"What'cha up to?" he asked casually.

"Nothing," I squeaked out. "What about you?"

"Just straightening up the apartment. The guys were here last night," he explained.

"Oh," I said absentmindedly. I just needed to come out with it, and I couldn't.

"You okay?" he asked, picking up on something being wrong.

"Not really," I admitted, and was suddenly thankful we were having this conversation over the phone because my eyes welled up.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently.

It was time to rip the bandaid off.

"I'm late."

"Late for what?"

"My period."

"Oh," he said, but I could tell it wasn't the same 'oh shit' moment that it was for me. "Is that normal?"

"No," I said. "I think I need to take a test."

"Oh," he said again, and then there was a moment of silence. "Do you uh... do you want me to come over?"

"Yeah," I sniffled. "We need to take a test and talk about this."

"Okay. I'll leave here in a minute," he said calmly.

"I'm going to run down to the drug store and get a few tests," I said. "You might get here before I get back."

"If I do I'll just wait outside for you," he promised.

"Thank you," I said.

"No problem. I'll see you soon."

We got off the phone, and I slipped on my tennis shoes and put a bra on, then left for the store in my pajamas. It was only a pair of flannel pants and one of Eric's t-shirts that he'd left at my place. I'd seen people wear worse to nicer places.

I had a mild panic attack as I stood in front of the tests, and then wanted to kill whoever thought it would be nice to put them next to the condoms and lube. Why didn't they keep the pregnancy tests with the baby stuff? Or would that be too rude to the people trying to have a baby? Either way, it didn't help my nerves. I picked two different kinds, and tried to ignore the judgmental looks I was getting from the cashier when I bought them. If I hadn't been totally freaked out, I would have sassed her.

By the time I got back to my place, Eric was already there, waiting outside like he said he would be. He smiled in a somewhat sympathetic way when I walked up to him, but I could see that he looked nervous too.

"Hi," I said.

"Hey," he said, but didn't hug me like he usually would when we saw each other.

"Come on in," I said, and started for my apartment door with Eric right behind me.

"So um, how late are you?" he asked as we went up the stairs.

"I should have started two days ago," I said. "Sometimes I'm off by a day or two, but this is the third."

"Oh," was all he said. Not very helpful.

I stopped at my apartment door and pulled out my keys to unlock it. Eric was silent as we went in, and I weirdly went into hostess mode.

"Do you want something to drink?"

"Tequila?" he joked.

Strangely enough, it broke some of the tension, and I smiled. "I'm fresh out."

"Damn," he smiled at me. "I guess I'll settle for water then."

I went to the fridge and pulled out the pitcher of filtered water I kept there and poured him a glass.

"Here you go," I said as I handed it to him.

"Thanks," he said, but didn't take a drink.

I eyed the bag from the pharmacy on the counter like it was a bomb about to go off.

"I guess I should go take those," I said.

"Do you want me to wait out here or..." he trailed off, his eyes fixed on the bag as well.

"Not unless you find me peeing on things really interesting," I said, and picked up the bag.

"Then I'll stay right here," he said, and leaned against the counter.

"I'll be back in a minute," I said, and went down the hall and into the bathroom.

My body was suddenly on autopilot, and I took the tests out of their boxes, read the instructions, which were pretty identical. Uncap and pee. So I did. Then I put the caps back on the tests and set them each on the box they came in before going back out to Eric.

"Well, that part is done," I said.

He nodded and asked, "How long do we wait?"

"A couple of minutes."

"Okay," he said, and then crossed the room to give me a hug. "Sorry I didn't do this when I first got here."

"It's okay," I said, and when I wrapped my arms around him to hug him back, I realized how much I'd really needed it.

"Do you think the tests are going to be positive?" he whispered. He hadn't let me go yet.

"Yes," I admitted.

"Are there other symptoms?"

"My boobs have been sore, and my sense of smell is really good all of a sudden," I said.

He released me from the hug and said, "I guess this is what we get for pawing at each other all the time, huh?"

"No, this is what we get for being stupid," I said.

"Sookie, we weren't stupid. We've always used protection," he reminded me.

"We should have doubled up."

"It's not like we didn't talk about it," he said calmly, and it was starting to get annoying. "We'll figure this out."

"How can you be so calm about this?" I asked, even though it was good to hear him say we'd figure it out.

"Because until the test says there's a reason to start freaking out, I'm trying to keep my cool. Besides, even if the test comes back positive... we'll deal with it," he said.

"Deal with it how?"

He sighed and said, "A question like that is always a trap. No matter what I say I'm going to be wrong. If I tell you I'll support any decision you make, it's like I'm putting it all on you. But if I tell you what I think and you don't agree, then I'm an asshole."

"You're only an asshole if you tell me what to do," I said.

"I won't do that."

"We should probably go look at the tests now."

"Okay," he said, and followed me to the bathroom.

"I guess you take one and I'll take the other?"

"Sure," he said, and reached for one of the sticks.

I picked up the other and looked at the little window, which had a plus sign in it. For positive. As in I was pregnant. I double checked the box to be sure, but it was fairly idiot proof. Even though I'd been expecting it, it was still a shock, and I absentmindedly found myself moving to put the toilet seat down so I could sit on it.

"I guess that one was positive too, huh?" Eric asked numbly, and set the other test down on the counter.

I didn't say anything in response. I couldn't. A whole world of change and responsibility came crashing down on my shoulders, and the only thing I could do was cry. Eric knelt down in front of me and pulled me into a hug.

"It's going to be okay," he said, even though I had no idea how he could think that.

"How?" I asked. "Are you saying that because you know, or because you're scared shitless like me?"

"Both, I think," he said, and pulled back to look me in my eyes. "Yes, I'm scared. We didn't plan this, obviously, but we'll figure this out, Sookie."

"Easy for you to say," I said, even though I knew I shouldn't have.

"Maybe if I just walked out on you it would be," he said.

"But you're not going to?"

"No, I'm not going to. This is as much your responsibility as it is mine," he said.

"Okay," I nodded, and wiped my eyes. "Then what do you want?"

"Honestly? I don't know," he said, and stood up. "I didn't really think about what I'd do if... I've never been in this situation before."

"Neither have I," I said. "I mean... well, where do you stand on abortion?"

"I don't really have an opinion. I always thought it wasn't really my place to have one since I would never have to have one," he said. "But I might have to rethink that now."

"Okay," I nodded, and got up. "Do you want some cookies?"

"Sookie, wait a second," he said, catching my hand as I walked away. "What do you think about abortion?"

"I think I need to bake some cookies," I said, and headed for the kitchen.

He followed after me at first, but quickly blocked my path.

"What?" I asked.

"You didn't answer me."

"Because I don't know right this second," I said, and threw my hands up before dropping them down at my sides again. "I need to go into my kitchen and throw ingredients in a bowl, and clear my head like my Gran taught me."

"Okay," he stepped out of the way. "Would it be better if I left and gave you some space to think?"

"No, we need to talk about it," I said as I went into the kitchen. I started pulling down measuring cups and ingredients and utensils.

"Just not right now," he said, leaning in the doorway.

I stopped what I was doing and looked at him. "We can talk right now, I just need something to occupy me so I don't completely freak out, okay?"

"Okay."

I focused on what I was doing again, and started talking. "I always thought it was stupid for girls to use abortion as a form of birth control. I told myself I could never do that; that if it was my own stupid mistake then I should deal with the consequences of that. But now I'm in their shoes, and I get it, and that scares me."

"So you're considering that option?" he asked.

"I wouldn't say that," I said, and pulled flour out of my freezer so I could measure it. "I'm just saying that I see why some would choose that."

He nodded, but kept quiet.

"I know you're saying you won't leave right now, and I believe you, but who's to say that won't change six months from now? I'm not ready to be a mother, especially one doing it alone. I've still got a lot left to accomplish before I'm ready for a baby. I'm almost still a kid myself. And I'm not sure I could give a baby the life it deserves. Abortion seems like an option, and that scares me."

"And if it's the one you choose, I'll support that," he said. "But there's also no guarantee six months from now you won't want me around, so we're just going to have to trust each other. I don't know what's going to happen with you and me, but I promise you that if you decide you want to keep the baby and we don't work, I won't abandon the kid."

"I've seen men break that promise before," I said, remembering my cousin Hadley being pregnant at seventeen. The guy who knocked her up left her just five months into the pregnancy. Thankfully she met a great guy when her son was three, and they've been together ever since, but that time was terrible for her.

"I'm not them," Eric said simply. "I handle my business, even when I don't necessarily want to."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I stopped measuring ingredients to look at him. "Is this something you don't want to handle?"

He sighed heavily and said, "It means I'm not going to punk out on you, Sookie."

I took a deep breath and apologized. "I'm sorry."

"Look, I get that right now this is a bigger deal for you because it's your body that goes through all of these changes, and if you decide not to keep the baby... I'm not saying I wouldn't feel guilty if you ended it, but it would be worse for you. But you're not alone in this," he said.

"So what does this change between me and you?" I asked. "You say I'm not alone and that you're going to stick around, but how do you mean it?"

"I don't know if this changes anything between you and me," he stepped closer. "We're definitely not ready for marriage, so for me that's not even on the table. I like the way things have been with us. I like spending time with you, and I like you a lot. So unless you'd rather end it-"

"I don't want to end it," I interrupted him. "And marriage is so off the table for me it's not even funny. I like you a lot too, and I would love to see where we go, but I'm not willing to get married just because this is happening."

"I think that would be a mistake," he agreed. "So we'll just keep things as they are, and if we're in a better place before the baby comes, assuming you decide to keep it, we can talk about maybe living together."

"You'd actually live with me?" I asked with a small smile.

"Yeah," he said. "I like having you around, and it would definitely make things easier on the kid, wouldn't it?"

"I would think so."

"But we can talk about that later," he said.

"Yeah," I nodded, and got back to work mixing my dough together. I knew the recipe by heart.

"What do you think about adoption?" he asked a few minutes later.

"It's..." I paused and thought a moment before continuing. "It's a noble thing to do, but I'm not sure I'd be strong enough to give up my baby. If I was sixteen, that might be another story."

"I couldn't do it," he said.

"It would be too hard," I said.

"I don't know how I'd feel knowing my kid was out there somewhere but it wasn't really mine," he said, and went to the table to grab his glass of water.

"I wouldn't like it either," I said, and went to the fridge for the eggs and added them to my bowl. "So we're nixing adoption as an option?"

"Yeah, I think so," he said.

"Okay," I said. "I know what you already said about abortion, but I really do feel you should have some say in that option."

He thought for a moment and said, "It's not that I don't want kids. I always thought someday, with the right person, it could be a good thing. Maybe even with you, but not now... not yet. I'm not ready for it either, but if I have to be, I can get there. It happens all the time. I guess what I'm afraid of is that twenty years from now I'll look back on this and wonder what if we made the wrong choice? I don't want to feel like there's something missing, you know what I mean?"

"I do," I nodded, and paused in my cookie-making to look at him. "I don't want to wonder."

"Not to get all whimsical, or philosophical on you or anything, but maybe this is the universe's way of telling us something other than we need to use better birth control," he suggested.

I smiled and looked back into my bowl before saying, "It could be."

"This doesn't have to be a tragedy," he said, as if the idea dawned on him suddenly.

"No, it doesn't."

"What does your gut tell you, Sookie?" he asked, stilling my hands, and turning me to look at him.

I looked up into his eyes, and told him my gut instinct, the first thing that came to me without thinking.

"To keep it," I said.

"Me too," he said, his eyes holding mine.

Before I could stop myself, I wrapped my arms around him tightly.

"I think we could do this," he said quietly.

"I think so too," I whispered back. "It's not going to be easy, and I'm probably going to freak out more than I should, but... we can do it."

"So... we're decided then?" he asked.

"We're keeping the baby," I said, more to just say it than to really answer his question.

"Yeah, we're keeping it," he said, and sounded as stunned as I felt.

* * *

**Looking forward to hearing what you all think! I'm not sure what time of day I'll be posting these. Any suggestions? I work early in the morning until the early afternoon, so I can post when I get home or before I go to work, or I could post before I go to bed so it's there for everyone the next day. Just wondering if anyone has a preference.  
**


	3. Acceptance

**I just wanted to note (AGAIN) that we set this story before the Morning After Pill was legal here in the states. Still had a couple questions about that.  
**

* * *

Chapter 2 - Acceptance

**EPOV**

Being a father this early in the game wasn't part of the plan, but I honestly couldn't come up with any other solution that I was comfortable with. Sookie and I talked a lot that night. She made a doctor's appointment to make sure the test wasn't a false positive. Since she'd taken two at the same time and they were two different brands I was pretty sure the tests were right on.

We decided not to say anything to anyone until we knew for absolutely certain that she was pregnant, and we would find that out the following week. I worried a little since she had been distant with me in the two weeks after we discovered one of the condoms had broken. It wasn't that I hadn't thought about the possibility that she was pregnant as a result of it, but I figured it was probably a one in a million chance. Yeah, it happened, but really... I mean, it was one of those things where you assume it's never going to happen to you.

I figured some higher power would know that Sookie and I weren't ready for the responsibility yet, but her getting pregnant made me reconsider it. Maybe we were ready and we just didn't know it yet. Maybe our insecurity over the matter had more to do with being selfish and having plans that didn't include kids quite yet.

But I meant what I said about not punking out on her. My father didn't raise me that way, and I was a product of a union that didn't last. My parents hadn't planned me either, and while they had made the mistake of getting married because it was what was expected at the time, I wasn't going to make that same mistake. I liked Sookie, and I wanted to get to know her better, but I wasn't going to put a ring on her finger just because I could. Having a child together was going to be a big enough adjustment without throwing a marriage into the works.

We ate dinner together and topped it off with some of the cookies she'd baked that afternoon as a way of keeping herself from going insane. I didn't know that was her chosen method of soothing herself, so it was an interesting thing to learn about her. We popped in a movie after we were done cleaning up the kitchen, and when she started to nod off I wondered if I should make myself scarce.

"Maybe I should get going," I suggested, unsure of whether or not she wanted to me stick around.

She sat up and stretched, then asked, "Will you stay here tonight?"

"Yeah, if you want. I just figured with the last couple of weeks maybe you didn't want me to," I said as nicely as I could. Lately anytime I went to give her more than a kiss, she got all panicked and pulled away from me. It was a complete 180 from the way the rest of our relationship had been.

"I'm sorry about that," she said with a frown. "I felt like everything was up in the air, and frankly, the idea of having sex again scared me."

"Why?" I quirked an eyebrow. If the damage had already been done, what difference did it make?

"Because I was freaking out. I knew it was possible that I was already pregnant, and that was all I could think about until I knew for sure," she said. "It's probably different for me than it is for you."

I smiled and said, "Yeah, I guess it is."

"I guess we don't have to worry about condoms anymore though," she said with a small sigh.

"We can keep using them if you want to," I shrugged. Yeah, they were a pain in the ass, but if they made her feel better it was better than not having sex.

"At least until we know for sure," she said.

"Whatever you want," I told her.

"I've never done it without one."

"Me either," I told her, and that was the God's honest truth. My father had drilled it into my head for as long as I could remember. Didn't really seem to matter much though, did it?

"I guess we're experiencing a lot of firsts with each other," she said with a small smile.

"Yeah, we are," I agreed. I considered saying something about her being the first and hopefully the only woman I ever got pregnant, but I kept that to myself. There was too much implication in a statement like that, and while I didn't want her thinking I was going to leave her, I didn't want to start making promises to her I wasn't sure I could keep.

She stood up, and took my hand to pull me up off the couch too. "Come on."

"What about the movie?" I asked with a smile. I knew where she was taking me, and I knew why.

"Forget about the movie," she said, and pulled me back towards her bedroom. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," I said as I followed her.

"At least we learned something these last two weeks," she said as she plopped down onto her bed.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" I asked, standing at the edge of her bed.

"That going two weeks without seeing each other naked sucks."

"That's very true," I agreed.

"Why aren't you naked yet then?"

"Why aren't you?" I quirked an eyebrow, but then yanked off my t-shirt.

"Because my boyfriend hasn't ripped my sexy flannel off yet," she said with a shrug.

"Get over here," I crooked a finger at her, but she backed up instead, leaving me no choice but to grab her ankles and drag her closer.

"Someone's feeling dominant," she giggled.

"You're just more fun when you cooperate," I smirked at her, and then pulled off her shirt, which was technically my shirt.

"It's too bad I put a bra on today."

"Why's that?" I asked, and started tugging at the cuffs of her pants.

"Because it would have been one less thing to take off," she said, and smiled at me when her pants went below her hips, revealing that she wasn't wearing underwear. "Forgot the panties though."

"Feel free to do that more often," I tossed her pants to the side.

"I'll remember that."

I popped the button on my jeans, but Sookie knocked my hands out of the way before I could lower the zipper.

"Now's who's feeling dominant?" I smirked at her.

"You know what's interesting about blow jobs?" she asked.

"A lot of things, but feel free to give me your list," I said as she worked my pants down.

"They make us both feel powerful," she said, and hooked her thumbs into the waistband of my boxers.

"Oh yeah?"

"Don't you feel powerful when I'm sucking your cock, and your fingers are in my hair, guiding me to just the right speed?"

"Of course," I smiled at her, kicking away my jeans and my shorts.

"Well for me," she said as her hand wrapped around me. "Knowing that I'm the reason you're groaning, and when I look up at you and see your eyes rolling back, seeing you completely at my mercy... It's a pretty powerful feeling."

"I like being at your mercy," I told her.

"I like it too," she smiled almost sweetly up at me, then licked up the length of my dick before wrapping her lips around the tip.

I reached out to brush her hair back from her face, but let her go at her own pace. Sookie took her time, using her hands and mouth in perfect balance, but I stopped her before I could finish. Not that I wouldn't have enjoyed it, because I knew I definitely would have, but I had other plans in mind.

"On your stomach, lover," I leaned down to kiss her before letting her turn over.

Sookie stretched out on her stomach, but I pulled her back again so that she was basically bent over her bed. I dropped to my knees behind her and ran my fingernails up and down the back of her thighs. Her turned her head and tried to watch, but I don't know how much she could really see from that position. I leaned forward, wasting very little time, and licked the length of her slit.

She was already glistening from the blowjob she'd been giving me, and I spread her lips with my thumbs before plunging my tongue into her. She moaned loudly, and my hands moved to cup her ass and hold her in place. My tongue moved to her clit and stayed there until she was panting and pleading with me for more.

I stood up and pressed down on her lower back to keep her in place, but then entered her with my fingers to make sure she was ready for me. She definitely was, and was trying to rub her thighs together for more friction.

"Eric please," she pleaded.

Just two weeks had passed but it felt much longer than that when I took into consideration how often we had been going at it before the broken condom situation. I realized then that I still needed a condom, so I let her go and went over to her nightstand where I knew she kept them, and pulled one out. It took a minute to get the damn thing on, but as soon as I did I turned Sookie over and held her legs up for her so they were hooked over my arms.

She reached down and stroked me for a moment before putting me at her entrance, and when I pushed in, she cried out. My eyes rolled back a little, and I didn't realize until I was buried in her just how much I missed the feeling of it. I swear there were times when it felt like her body was made for mine. Her walls gripped me perfectly, and just because it felt so good to do it, I pulled all the way out and then thrust into her deep and hard.

Her eyes popped open and her fingers clutched at my forearms. She hadn't even taken her bra off, but that was fine. I could work around it. My hips started to move at a regular rhythm and I leaned forward to kiss her, which forced her hips off the bed a little. I swallowed her moans and knew neither of us was going to last very long. My kisses moved to her neck, finding that spot that made her go weak in the knees.

"Faster," she moaned, and I went a little faster.

In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. Over and over again until Sookie was clutching at the comforter and I could feel her muscles starting to flutter. I rubbed her clit to help her along, and when she came she took me with her.

"Eric!" she screamed at the same time I shouted her name, and I damn near fell on the floor.

"Jesus," she panted after a moment.

"I almost forgot the condom," I said, and pulled out of her.

"Knock me up once and your brain goes out the window," she said with a chuckle.

"I said almost," I leaned down and bit her ass, which got a yelp out of her.

"Hey!" she laughed as she rubbed the spot.

"I didn't do it that hard," I moved her hand out of the way and kissed the spot where I bit her. "Better?"

"Mmm, much better," she said.

I got rid of the condom in the bathroom and came back to Sookie's bedroom to find her still in the same spot.

"Legs not working?" I asked her.

"They never do after an orgasm like that," she smiled.

"We need to work on your upper body strength," I teased her, and then carefully turned her over and lifted her so I could put her on her side of the bed.

"I'll think about it," she yawned.

I stretched out next to her, but that meant my feet were hanging off the end of her bed. Sookie turned on her side so she was facing me and for the first time in two weeks she was really smiling.

"You know you're much prettier when you smile," I told her.

"Is that so?" she asked, and blushed a little as her smile grew.

"Absolutely," I smiled back at her.

"You're prettier when you smile too."

I laughed and turned on my side. I reached up and touched her face gently before leaning in to kiss her. It was nice that she wasn't pulling away, or worse, running away.

"I like your kisses," she said.

"Want some more?" I offered, since I would happily spend the rest of the night kissing her to make up for lost time.

"I'd love some more," she said. "I could spend days kissing you."

"Me too," I said, and then kissed her again before she could say anything else. Eventually she ended up on top of me and her bra disappeared.

"The trouble is kissing you always leads to other things," she said.

"Want to stop before it goes too far?" I asked her.

"Why would I want to stop?"

"Just checking," I smiled up at her.

"I'm really glad you stayed," she said, and started kissing me again.

I was glad I stayed too, and not just because of the sex. Things had been awkward between us for the last two weeks, and again, not just because of the sex. Or lack there of. Sookie had been off in her own little world, almost, and for a little while there I had started to wonder if maybe she was having second thoughts about our relationship in general. I was glad to know that it was mostly because of the pregnancy. For the moment, everything seemed to be back to normal. I'd see how long that lasted, though.

**oOoOoOo**

Sleep didn't come easily for me that night. It should have. Things were as back on track as they could be where Sookie was concerned, considering the pregnancy bombshell. She fell asleep fairly easily after a second round of sex that robbed her of a few more orgasms, but I had too much on my mind. Maybe that was payback for all the nights I'd slept no problem while Sookie was wide awake, worried about whether or not she was pregnant.

Now she knew for sure and we had made a decision about what to do. I had promised her I wasn't going anywhere, and I meant that, but I was still freaking out. At least I was in a position financially to handle having a kid, but that was the least of my worries. Sure money was a consideration in everything, but that was really only a small part of being a parent.

Sookie was curled up at my side, looking all peaceful and content. I kissed her head and then carefully got out of bed. I didn't want to stay there tossing and turning, or start thinking too loud and wake Sookie up. I went to the kitchen and got myself a glass of milk, and then went out the back door to sit on her patio. It was about three in the morning which meant it was close to four in Georgia where my father was.

My mother, on the other hand, was two hours earlier out in California. She was remarried and living near San Diego. Dad had been remarried for a while, but it became pretty obvious that Dad wasn't meant to be married. That marriage lasted about 6 months before his wife called it quits. I needed to talk to one of my parents, but I wasn't sure which one. In the end I decided I needed to call them both because I could get different perspectives from each of them.

Mom's would be more valuable in dealing with Sookie, since she had been in a similar situation. I felt bad that my parents were going to be grandparents without ever so much as meeting Sookie. They both knew about her, but since they were on opposite coasts it wasn't like I could just invite them over for dinner to meet her. They had seen pictures of us together so they at least knew what she looked like.

Dad liked that I'd found a nice southern girl to settle down with. Ever since he moved to Georgia he'd proclaimed himself a redneck. He spent most of his days fishing and tracking things in the woods. I supposed it made sense since he'd been in the Army during the Vietnam War. Dad was a good ten years older than Mom, so he was already almost thirty when he met Mom, and she was just barely legal at the time.

I was born in Tennessee and after my parents split up when I was three, I lived with my mother in Michigan, where she was originally from. When Dad retired from the Army around the time I was starting high school, he moved up to Indiana. I didn't get to see him as much as I wanted to, but we talked on the phone often enough. He talked me through the important milestones in my life, but Mom was the one who was really there for me. She started dating her husband when I was in middle school, and my little half-sister Pam was born my freshman year of high school.

Dad was up pretty early most days, but 4 AM might be pushing it.

I sat outside until the humidity in the air started to get to me, and then I went back inside. I rinsed out my glass and left it in the sink before going back to the bedroom. Sookie had rolled onto her back, and even though she was mostly covered with the sheet, the outline of her body was clear. When describing Sookie it would be easy to use words like knockout or bombshell. Silky blonde hair, big blue eyes and generous curves in all the right places easily put her into the gorgeous category. I tried to imagine what she would look like in eight months.

I tried to imagine her with a swollen belly and bigger breasts, and I'll admit, the picture in my mind was a good one. She had a body that seemed perfect for pregnancy since she naturally flared out to begin with. Pregnancy would only exacerbate it. I tried to imagine resting my hand on her stomach and feeling something move inside her. I had no idea what that would feel like.

She didn't move when I settled in next to her, but I was glad she didn't. If she woke up she would want to know why I was awake and at the moment I didn't want to get into it with her. I didn't want her thinking I had changed my mind. Yeah, I had doubts. I would be crazy if I didn't. We had both admitted we weren't ready to be parents, but we were going to do the best we could.

The situation wasn't ideal, but it could have been worse. I closed my eyes and tried to get my mind to quiet down a little bit. I could resume being scared shitless in a few hours. It took a while, but I eventually fell into a dark, dreamless sleep. When I woke it was to the feeling of something warm and wet on my cock, and when I felt the tickle of Sookie's hair on my thighs I knew what was happening.

My eyes opened to find her kneeling between my legs, her eyes trained on mine while she blew me into consciousness. She employed her hand instead of her mouth and said, "Good morning."

"Morning," I answered in a voice full of sleep and lust.

Her mouth took over for her hand, but again I wouldn't allow myself to finish in her mouth, and I pulled her up gently. She kissed her way up my stomach and straddled my waist, allowing me to feel how hot and wet she was already. She kissed me, morning breath and all, and wrapped her legs around me when I rolled us over. I had to be careful on her bed that I didn't roll her onto the floor by mistake. I returned the favor and started kissing my way down, but when I got to her boobs she winced.

"They're sore," she said sheepishly.

"I'll be gentle," I promised.

But it was obvious my attentions there were doing more harm than good, so I moved on. Well, I tried to, but Sookie was in an impatient mood, and insisted I just fuck her already. I reached into the nightstand for a condom, and ended up rolling off of Sookie to put it on. She climbed on top of me and rubbed her breasts against my face for a moment before shifting her position a little and easing me inside her. My hands started at her hips when she began to rock back and forth, but moved up to her breasts to cup them gently as she increased her speed. She leaned down to kiss me and started to grind against me a little.

We rolled over and her legs wrapped around me. I braced my weight mostly on my elbows, making sure to keep grinding against her a little with every thrust of my hips. I kissed that spot on her neck, and when she started panting I moved faster. Sookie turned her head and I caught her lips with mine as her hand moved between us to help herself along. Her other hand flew up toward the headboard to keep her head from smacking against it, and I didn't realize until then just how hard I was thrusting into her, but she didn't seem to mind.

Her walls started to clamp down and her cries got louder as she came, and I followed quickly after her. I stilled for a moment after my release, but when I went to pull away, Sookie pulled me back.

"Something wrong?" I asked, still trying to catch my breath.

"No," she panted. "I just need you to... stay, for a second."

"Okay," I said, but sort of hovered over her, not wanting to crush her underneath me.

She reached up and ran her hands down my chest, then back up my arms.

"You're so beautiful," she said.

"Likewise," I smiled at her.

"This might just be the orgasm talking, but I think I'm falling for you."

I couldn't think of anything to say in response to that, so I kissed her instead. I wasn't sure what my feelings were where she was concerned. I liked her a lot, but that seemed like too generic of a response so I decided it was better not to say anything until I knew how I felt.

"It's okay if you don't feel the same," she said with a small smile.

"I'm not sure what I feel," I told her honestly. "But when I know it you'll be the first person I tell."

"Ditto."

I kissed her again, but then I had to get up before there was a messy situation on her sheets. I stretched out next to her a few moments later and closed my eyes, enjoying the quiet. Sookie curled up into me a moment later, and that was what we did for the next hour. It was nice being able to be in a comfortable silence with someone.

"I'm hungry," I finally broke the silence, and it pulled Sookie from the dozing she was doing.

"I could probably eat," she said, and stretched.

"How about we get dressed and walk over to that diner you like?" I suggested.

"That sounds good."

I stretched, rolled off her bed and then stretched again before going to the bathroom. When I came back Sookie was pulling clothes out of her closet, and I bent to pick mine up. I pulled my jeans on and then sat on the edge of her freshly made bed.

"My mother is coming to town next month," I said while she dressed. "I want you to meet her."

She paused for a moment, and gave me a strange look, then shook her head and said, "Okay."

"You don't have to if you don't want to." I pulled on my t-shirt.

"It's not that, it's just... I know the only reason I'm meeting her right now is because I'm pregnant. It's okay, and I get it, it's just not how I saw that going."

"That's not the only reason," I said as I stood up. "I mean, it makes things a little more urgent, but I would have asked you anyway. She knows about you. It's not like I've kept you some dirty little secret."

She pulled her shirt on, and then said, "You told her about me?"

"Of course. I've told both of my parents, but we have about as much chance of getting Dad to come up here for a visit as you do of sprouting wings," I snickered. "But he did say that you're quite a looker."

"Ahh, so you get your charm from him," she smiled.

"Yeah," I laughed. "Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize," she chuckled. "It's cute."

"I'm glad you think so," I said, and once she was all dressed we left her bedroom.

"I wish I could introduce you to my parents," she said.

"Yeah, I wish you could too," I gave her a sympathetic smile, and wondered how she was coping with not having them around. If I was itching to talk to my parents and they were just a phone call away, I couldn't imagine how difficult it was for her.

"My daddy would have scared the shit out of you when he found out I was pregnant," she said with a smile.

"Are we talking verbal threats or a shotgun in my face backing me up toward an altar?" I asked with a smirk while tying my shoes.

"Somewhere in between," she said. "He'd probably be giving you verbal threats, while cleaning his shotgun."

"That actually sounds kind of funny," I said, but knew I probably wouldn't be laughing if it actually happened.

"Yeah, but you'd have shit your pants if it did happen," she laughed. "My dad could be pretty scary."

"I guess that's where you get your temper from then, huh?"

"Actually I got that from my mother."

"What was she like?" I asked, since Sookie didn't usually talk about her parents very much and I was curious since I would never get to find out for myself.

"A lot like me, actually. My dad always said I was the spitting image of my mom, just twenty years younger. She was a great mother," she said with a sad smile. "We were really close."

"At least you've got someone looking out for you, assuming you believe in that sort of thing," I went over and gave her a hug because the last thing I wanted was for her to burst into tears.

"I do," she nodded into my chest. "I feel like they're with me sometimes, as silly as that sounds."

"I don't think that's silly at all," I stroked her hair.

"Thank you," she said, and just let me hold her for a moment.

Then my stomach had to go and growl and ruin the quiet. Swear to God it sounded like a dinosaur was hidden somewhere in the room. Both of us started laughing and I said, "I think that's our cue to get going."

"I'd say so," she laughed. "I think we worked up an appetite."

"Yeah," I smiled, and then opened the front door. I waited for Sookie to lock up behind me, and then we headed out hand in hand.

* * *

**I'll probably stick to posting this after I get home from work unless I have the forethought to do it before I go to sleep. Hope you all enjoyed it!  
**


	4. Sharing

**Sorry this one's a little late. My day got hectic!  
**

* * *

Chapter 3 - Sharing 

**SPOV**

A couple days before my doctor's appointment, I went over to my best friend's apartment for dinner. I told Amelia I had some big news for her and she invited me over so we could talk. I was surprised in myself for not having told her something was up sooner, but I couldn't wait any longer. I made us a pan of brownies since there would be lots of girl talk, and headed over.

Amelia lived about ten minutes from me, and that came in handy quite frequently. I couldn't count the number of times we had quick get-togethers so we could bitch about whatever guy had recently broken our hearts or screwed us over.

When I got to her apartment, I knocked on the door and waited for her to come answer it. When she did, she was on the phone, obviously arguing with someone.

"No, Bobby, that's fine. You go ahead and do that," she said in that dangerous tone that should have told Bobby he was on thin ice. "Why would I be mad that you're going there? If you want to spend the night staring at fake tits and c-section scars that's your business, but don't even think about coming over here later. No, I'm not jealous! No, I... no! Fine, whatever. Have fun, asshole!"

She hung up and threw her phone on the couch.

"What's going on there?" I asked.

"He's going to some sleazy strip club with his buddies, which means there will be drinks and lapdances and he'll either show up here in the middle of the night looking to get lucky, or he'll end up getting blown by one of the strippers," she said, and rubbed her forehead. "I swear, I'm this close to breaking up with him, Sookie."

"I'm sorry sweetie," I frowned. "I don't think he'd really cheat on you though."

"I do," she sighed, and then added, "It happened once before."

"What?"

"It was this party with his friends," she said, and started walking toward her kitchen. "He said it was a drunken mistake and it would never happen again. We were only together for about a month at the time, and since he came clean about it and swore to me that it wouldn't happen again I decided to give him another chance. But we've been fighting a lot lately and it's just... I don't know what I'm doing with him anymore."

"If you don't have a reason to stay, then you shouldn't."

"It's just hard, you know? Because when it's good, it's really good. I want to think this is just a rough patch and we'll get through it, but I don't know if I even want to put the effort into fighting for it," she opened the fridge, and grabbed a bottle of wine. "I don't know what I'm doing."

"Just the fact that you can assume he'll just cheat is enough for me to see you're not into it anymore."

"Yeah," she agreed, and poured two glasses of wine. She handed one of them to me and said, "I should probably just chock this up to a loss and move on."

"Whatever you decide, I'll be there for you," I said, and looked down at the wine I couldn't drink. "Do you mind if I just have water?"

"If that's what you want," she eyed me suspiciously. "This is your favorite chardonnay you're refusing, you know that, right?"

"Yeah," I said a bit sheepishly.

She took my glass back and said, "You know where the water is. I have to drop the pasta in the pot."

"Okay," I said, and went to the fridge to get a bottle of water. "So what are you making?"

"Pasta primavera with sauteed chicken," she said, as she dropped the fresh pasta into the water.

"Awesome," I smiled. "I brought brownies."

Amelia was the better cook between us. I did alright, and I could bake like nobody's business, but I wasn't a great chef.

"God bless you," she said gratefully. "So why are you skipping the wine?"

I took a deep breath and let it out before answering her. "That's why I wanted to talk to you," I said.

"Uh oh. You're stalling. Please don't tell me you have cancer or you're dying," she dropped her pasta stirrer on the counter.

"I don't, and I'm not," I said. "I'm pregnant."

"Shut the front door!" she stared at me. "Is it Eric's?"

I gave her an incredulous look.

"What? It's a legit question," she insisted, and then turned around to flip her chicken over.

"How is that a legit question? You know I've only been with him in the last year."

"Shit happens?" she shrugged, and turned to face me again. "So does he know?"

"Yeah, and we've talked about it. We decided to keep it," I told her.

"Wow," she looked surprised. "He didn't bolt? You didn't have to lobotomize him or anything?"

"No, he was actually really great about it. I mean, at first I don't think he realized how scary it was for me since all we knew was that a condom had broken. But then I missed my period and he came over when I took the tests."

"That's good. You're sure he's not going to bolt on you?" Amelia asked, and stirred the pasta. "I mean, guys say they won't, but then you start to show and reality hits..."

"Honestly, I'm still a little afraid that's going to happen," I admitted. "But I brought Hadley up to him, and he said he wouldn't do that. I believe he means it, but it's not like either one of us have been in this situation before."

"And you could always bolt on him," she suggested.

"I don't want to though."

"Yeah, but can you do it alone?" Amelia asked. "I'm not trying to be negative or anything, just playing Devil's advocate here. I mean, what if things don't work out with you guys? Are you sure you can do this alone?"

"I'm not sure, no. I think we're both mature enough that if things don't work out between us, we wouldn't let our child suffer for it. And I don't think I'd be alone. I'd have Eric."

"Okay, but what if you do end up alone?" she asked. "He seems like a great guy and all, but... it happens, Sook. I just want you to be prepared for that."

"I don't know," I admitted sadly. "I suppose I would figure it out. My mother didn't raise me to be dependent on a man. I think I'll have a better idea of that when I start showing and feel the baby move. It'll be more real then."

"Are you happy about this? I mean, I know you didn't plan this or you would have been talking babies like nobody's business, but like, you're good with this?" she asked nervously.

"I wouldn't say happy. It's not how I pictured it happening. I'm okay with it because I have to be right now, but I have a feeling that it's not the worst thing in the world. I always wanted to be a mom, it's just happening a little out of order."

"Well you know I have your back, right?" she smiled at me. "Whatever you need. Lamaze partners, someone to help pick out adorable baby clothes... I'm there for you."

"I know," I smiled, and went over to hug her. "And I love you for it."

"I love you too," she squeezed me back. "So how pregnant are you?"

"Not very. I have a doctor's appointment in a couple days to figure all that stuff out."

She nodded, and then pulled the big pot with the pasta off the stove to go drain it in the sink. "How'd Eric take it when you told him? Did he freak out?"

"We kind of both knew it was a possibility for two weeks, but he wasn't really freaked out until I told him I'd missed my period. It was actually not that bad, really. I freaked out more than he did, and he stayed calm. It was a good balance."

"That's good," she said as she shook the colander. "He didn't propose to you, did he?"

"God, no," I laughed. "We both agreed that marriage is not something either of us is ready for."

"Thank fuck," she said, and dropped the pasta back into its pan before adding what looked like homemade alfredo sauce to the pot.

"He did talk about moving in together if we're still a couple before the baby comes."

"That's not a bad idea," Amelia nodded, and added vegetables to the pot.

"It'll definitely help with the nighttime feedings."

"Well yeah, but it would probably make things better all the way around."

"How so?"

"Living together means you're pretty stable in your relationship, right? I mean, that's not usually a decision you make in the heat of the moment. Well, you don't," she laughed. "I would do something like that, but you're way more responsible and methodical than I am."

"If I was responsible, I wouldn't be pregnant right now," I said.

"I thought you said there was faulty contraception?"

"There was, but we should have doubled up. I wasn't quick enough to get on birth control."

"Haven't you been together for like, five months or something?" Amelia arched an eyebrow at me. "Besides, condoms are better than nothing, and I speak from experience on this."

"Yeah, that's what I mean. We've only been having sex for like four months of it," I said. "And what do you mean you speak from experience?"

"As in I have done the unprotected sex thing before. Not very smart on my part, but I was lucky. I was also like, sixteen at the time so it didn't hit me how bad it could be if I wasn't careful. I have since learned the error of my ways," she said.

"It's so scary," I said. "And that was the only time we've ever had a broken condom. I can't believe that's all it took."

"I guess you guys just got lucky," she snickered, and then said, "Dinner's ready whenever you want to eat."

"It smells good, and I'm starving, so feed me," I said as I got down plates.

"Help yourself. I have to run to the bathroom real quick," she said, and then headed toward her bedroom.

I filled my plate and took it and my water to the table and sat down. The pasta was delicious, and the chicken just... ugh I needed to hire Amelia as my own personal chef. When she came back into the kitchen I told her so.

"Why thank you," she took a little bow, and fixed herself a plate as well before joining me at the table. "So you being with child was the big news, right? You're not going to tell me you're leaving me here all alone, or that you've decided to give up carbs for the rest of your life, right?"

"No," I laughed. "That was the big news. I'm going to be a baby mama, and you're going to be a baby godmama."

"I feel like this calls for celebratory milkshakes or something," she said before stuffing her face with an absurd amount of pasta.

"We could do that," I smiled. "And the job is only yours if you want it."

"Umm you best consider that position filled, missy," she stared me down.

"Done."

"Good," she said with her mouth full.

"Will you also promise to kick Eric's ass for me if he bolts in six months?"

"Oh I'll do you one better," she set down her fork. "I'll make a phone call to Tray. Eric won't get more than a block away before he gets his ass handed to him by a bunch of scary bikers."

"That sounds even better," I said. But I really didn't think it would ever need to happen. "You know, why aren't you and Tray together?"

"Me and Tray?" she asked incredulously and started laughing.

"Don't laugh! I think you two would be adorable together."

"Oh come on, Sookie! People don't get much more different than Tray and me," she shook her head. "Besides, he's got his business, his kid and don't forget that psycho of an ex-wife."

"Sometimes the best matches are the ones that don't make sense looking from the outside in."

"Eh," she shrugged.

"I'm just saying... Your first instinct was to call him."

"So that means I should date him?" Amelia quirked an eyebrow.

"It means he's on your mind," I smiled, and started stuffing my own mouth with delicious pasta.

"No it doesn't!" she scoffed. "It means you said something about needing someone's ass kicked, and there is no one better at kicking ass than Tray. I fail to see how that means we should start bumping uglies."

"I'm just saying..." I smiled, but said no more on the topic.

**oOoOoOo**

"I went to Amelia's tonight and told her about the baby," I told Eric on the phone later that night as I was lying in bed.

"What'd she say?" he asked in a rather emotionless tone.

"She was being a good friend," I said. "She's got my back."

"That's good. You should have all the support you can get," he said.

"So should you."

"Yeah I haven't told anyone yet," he admitted. "I'm going to wait until after we see the doctor and know for sure."

"Do you want to meet before or just meet there?"

"Meeting there would be better. I can take a long lunch, but I can't be gone all day."

"Okay," I said.

"But we can have dinner that night if you want," he offered.

"That would be nice," I said. "I'm nervous."

"About what?" he asked. "Just the appointment in general, or more than that?"

"The appointment, the results, all of it."

"I'm sure everything will be okay," he said.

"I know, but it doesn't mean I can't be nervous about it."

"I didn't say you couldn't be."

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "When I have too much time to think I freak myself out."

"Want me to come over for a while?" he offered. "Or you could come here if you want."

"It's not too late?"

"We could just sleep," he suggested. "Maybe that'll make you feel better. Sometimes just not being alone helps."

"Yeah it does. I'll come over."

"I'll leave the front door unlocked for you."

"Thank you," I smiled, and got up to get my shoes on. "I'll be there soon."

"I'll be waiting."

"Bye," I said, and hung up the phone.

I pulled my shoes on, grabbed my purse, and headed over to Eric's place. Thankfully he was only a few blocks away so it didn't take long to get there. Like he said, he left the door unlocked, so I went on in and locked it back.

"Eric?" I called out.

"In the kitchen!" he called back.

I headed in and found Eric scooping ice cream into bowls.

"Hey," I smiled and wrapped my arms around him from behind.

"Hi," he said. "I hope you still like cookie dough."

"I do indeed. You're a sweetheart."

"You are the girl that told me there's nothing a big bowl of ice cream can't fix, right?" he asked as he handed me one of the bowls.

"That's right," I smiled as I took it from him, then stretched up on my toes to kiss him.

"There's whipped cream in the fridge if you want some," he smiled at me.

"Yes please," I said, and went to get it. "You want some?"

"It'll just go straight to my hips," he teased, but then added, "Sure."

"You're not the one that needs to be worried about your hips."

"Your hips are perfect," he said, and gave them a squeeze for good measure.

"Why thank you, Mr. Northman," I said, and gave us both a bit of whipped cream. "Where are we eating?"

"How about out on the balcony?" he suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"Ice cream always tastes better when it's hot outside. I don't know why that is," he said, and led me to the balcony off the living room.

"Yeah it does. It's beautiful out tonight."

"A little warm for my liking, but not horrible," he said, and took a seat next to me.

"Thank you for inviting me over," I said, then took a bite of the ice cream.

"You're welcome," he said, and did the same.

"I really do appreciate how calm you're being about all of this."

"I'm not one for panic. There's a solution to every problem," he said after he swallowed.

"There is," I nodded. "And I think it's what I need. When I'm freaking, you stay calm, like my rock."

"Or maybe I'm just better at hiding it when I freak out," he suggested before taking another big bite of his ice cream.

"Why?" I frowned. "Are you?"

"Not at the moment," he said a minute later.

"But have you?"

"Yeah, I have," he admitted.

"Why wouldn't you share that with me?"

He was quiet for a minute before he said, "Because I didn't want to make you any more nervous than you already are. The night we found out about the pregnancy I didn't sleep very much. I spent most of it on your porch."

"Oh," I said, and looked down at my bowl, then started eating it again. I wasn't sure what to tell him that wasn't going to come out wrong.

"It's fine, Sookie," he said reassuringly. "I just didn't want you to think I was going to bolt on you, or that I'd changed my mind because I won't and I haven't. There's just a lot to think about."

"But I need you to be honest with me."

"I have been honest with you."

"You didn't tell me you were freaking out, Eric."

"I didn't see the point," he shrugged. "Do you tell me every thought that goes through your mind?"

"It's not like that," I sighed.

"So I should have woken you up in the middle of the night?"

"If you needed to."

"But I didn't. I handled it on my own," he said.

"I would have appreciated knowing that I'm not the only one freaking out though."

He sighed and said, "I'm just better at dealing with that sort of stuff on my own. I'm not the kind of person that likes to talk it out, you know?"

"Okay," I said. If he didn't like talking about it, then I couldn't force him.

"It's not because I don't trust you," he offered a few minutes later. "It's just the way I've always been. Maybe I need to change that."

"When you're in a relationship, you have to trust your partner," I said. "Especially in a time like this. I need to know what you're feeling, or I end up feeling alone."

"Then I'll work on it," he said. "But I can't make you any promises."

"I understand that. I'd just appreciate it if you could try."

"I'll give it a shot," he said, and then went inside to take care of his empty bowl.

I started eating my half-melted ice cream again, but I still felt a little sad. I chalked it up to Eric being a guy, and guys don't really share their feelings that often. Plus we hadn't been together too long.

Eric came back out a minute later and sat down again. I laid my head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around me.

"You ate too fast."

"I always eat fast."

"Oh I know," I said, and then smiled. "I know that intimately, even."

"Is that a complaint?"

"Not in the least."

"I would hope not, otherwise you've been faking it."

"I have never faked it with you," I admitted. "You've never given me a reason to."

"But you have in the past?"

"Yeah," I said sheepishly. "I'm not proud of it."

"Did the guy notice?"

"He didn't seem to."

"Then I hope you dumped him."

"After a while, I did."

"First boyfriend?"

"No."

"That sucks."

"Yeah, I definitely know how lucky I am with you," I smiled up at him.

"Likewise," he smiled back at me.

"So you've never faked it with me?" I asked with a teasing grin.

"I don't even know how I would do that," he laughed. "But no, I haven't."

"You guys are too lucky. You know every time you do it you're going to bust a nut."

"Oh you think so?" he arched an eyebrow. "It's entirely possible to lose it, you know."

"Does that happen often?"

"Not to me," he said. "It did once in college, but I was drunk at the time so that probably had something to do with it."

"Poor girl."

"Eh," he shrugged. "It was probably better that I didn't sleep with her. I can't even remember her name."

"That's college," I chuckled.

"Uh huh," he laughed along with me. "And it didn't help that I went to one of the biggest party schools in the country, but my priorities were different back then."

"So I take it there's enough notches on your belt to make a lovely decorative design."

"Something like that," he said, but offered nothing further on the topic.

"It's okay," I said, and patted his knee. "I'm not going to freak out about it. It's not like I was a virgin when we met."

"Yeah," he laughed and said, "In my experience it's rarely a good idea to talk about the number of people you've been with in the past."

"I've never had a problem talking about it," I shrugged.

"I don't have a problem with it either, but girls usually do," he said.

"I'm not most girls," I said. "The only number I'd give a shit about is the number of girls you were with while you're with me, and since I know that one's zero then I have no issues."

"Good," he said, and kissed my head. Then he yawned. "I need to go to bed. I have to be up early tomorrow. You're welcome to stay if you want to."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to," I said.

"Of course not," he stood up and offered a hand to me to help me up.

"Let me just take my bowl to the kitchen," I said.

"Okay. I'll be in the bedroom," he said, and headed that way once we were inside.

I took my bowl to the kitchen and rinsed it out, then turned off the light and went back to join him.

"Need a t-shirt to sleep in?" he offered, and then smirked. "Or do you just want to sleep naked?"

"If I crawl in that bed naked, you're not going to get the sleep you want," I smiled.

"Only if you can't control yourself," he said as he pulled back the comforter.

"That's awfully hard with you," I said. "I'll take a t-shirt."

He nodded and went to his dresser to grab one of his t-shirts for me. Eric handed it to me and then went to the bathroom, presumably to brush his teeth. I got undressed and pulled on his t-shirt then waited for him to come out so I could go in and do the same.

"It's all yours," Eric said when he came back to the bedroom a few minutes later.

"Thanks," I smiled, and went in to use the bathroom and brush my teeth with my finger. I'd have to ask him about leaving a toothbrush there, but I wasn't sure how he'd react to it. He was already under the covers when I came out again and I climbed in next to him.

"You know, I was just thinking," he said, and reached over to turn off the light on his bedside table. "If you wanted to leave some stuff in the bathroom, I'm okay with that. You know, toothbrush, deodorant..."

I looked at him suspiciously and asked, "Are you a telepath?"

"No," he looked at me just as oddly. "It just seems logical. You sleep here often enough and that's got to be easier than always having to worry about having a bag packed or something."

"You're right, it's just that while I was in the bathroom I was thinking that I should ask you if you would be okay with that, and then you said it."

"I think that's what's known as being on the same page," he smiled at me.

"Or you're a telepath," I giggled.

"Or that," he said, and adjusted his pillow.

"I should hope not. I don't want you knowing all the dirty things in my brain."

"How dirty are they?" he smirked.

"Pretty filthy."

"This sounds interesting. Have I ever told you I like bedtime stories?"

"Ahh, but if I tell you the story your reaction wouldn't be to go to sleep soundly."

"You have no faith in me," he said dramatically.

"So if I told you that I'm a girl who likes to be spanked and told she's a dirty girl, you'd just roll over and go right to sleep?"

"I'd need time to plot," he said matter of factly.

"Well that's... disappointing."

"But you were speaking in hypotheticals," he pointed out.

"If you hypothetically need time to plot out a way to fuck me, spank me, and call me a dirty girl, then I'm not sure I want to tell you all my thoughts."

"Then you would be missing out," he sighed.

"How so?"

"Because if that's what you want, I would gladly give it to you."

"Right now?"

"Right now is for sleeping, minx."

I pouted at him.

"I thought you were here to sleep?" he reminded me.

"I'm not the one that said that," I smirked.

"Believe me, if I didn't have to be up at four, I would be all over it," he assured me.

"Why so early?"

"Because I'm going to the gym before work in the morning and I have a conference call I have to be on at seven, since it's with an east coast client," he explained.

"Then I won't tell you any more of my desires," I said, and mimed zipping my lips.

"You can tell me tomorrow," he yawned again. "Preferably in text messages. It'll keep me awake."

"I might even send you a couple pictures," I smiled, and snuggled into his side.

"That would be lovely," he wrapped an arm around me.

"Goodnight, Eric."

"Night, Sookie," he kissed my head.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	5. Sudden

**The beginning of this chapter is NSFW!  
**

* * *

Chapter 4 - Sudden 

**EPOV**

**Sookie:** Morning Eric. Hope you don't mind the attached pic ;)

Mind? Why would I mind a picture of my girlfriend lounging in my bed, and from the look of things Sookie was naked when she took the picture. Tease.

**Eric:** Not at all, dirty girl.

**Sookie:** I thought you didn't like pet names?

**Eric:** This one suits you :p

**Sookie:** *gasp* I'm not THAT dirty.

**Eric:** That's not what you said last night. I believe you used the word 'filthy.'

**Sookie:** You got me there. So what are you wearing?

**Eric:** Black pinstripe suit with a silver tie. You?

I got another picture, and this time she was topless. And wet.

**Sookie:** Just got out of the shower. I thought dirty things while I was in there.

**Eric:** Such as?

**Sookie:** What you would do to me if you were there.

**Eric:** That was vague.

**Sookie:** Mostly I thought about you pinning me against the wall and whispering dirty things in my ear while you fingered me.

There was definitely movement in my pants at the thought of it.

**Eric:** Like what a bad girl you are for making me hard when I can't bend you over my desk and fuck you hard?

**Sookie:** uh huh.

**Eric:** I would, you know. If you were here right now, I'd lock my office door and fuck you on my desk.

**Sookie:** unnnf

**Eric:** And then again against the wall.

Just thinking about it was driving me a little crazy.

**Sookie:** I'm so wet right now, Eric.

Fuck. Me.

Rather than texting her back right away I looked at my computer to see if she was signed into Skype. Lucky for me, she was. I got up, locked my office door, closed the blinds and put my phone on do not disturb, and then I called Sookie. God bless video chats.

She answered my call with a towel wrapped around her. Her hair was still damp and she had a mischievous look on her face.

"Aren't you at work?" Sookie asked me.

"Yes, I am, but I thought this might be a creative way to solve your problem," I smirked at her. "My door is locked & my phone is turned off so you have me all to yourself for a few minutes."

"Lucky me," she said, and shifted her position on her bed so she was lying down and had to turn her head toward the laptop. "Can you see everything?"

"No," I said. "I think the laptop is too close."

She moved it back a little until I could see most of her. "Better?"

"Uh huh."

Then she pulled the towel away.

"Fuck me," I groaned.

"Later, sweetie," she winked at me.

"So you were telling me about your filthy mind last night," I leaned back in my chair. "I want to hear more."

"What would you like to know?"

"Whatever you want to tell me," I swiveled back and forth a little in my chair.

"So you want to know how I think about sucking your cock more than is probably healthy?" she asked with a smile.

"Absolutely," I smiled back at her. "And the more detailed the better."

"Are you sure you want to do this when I'm not there to help you out?"

"Very sure."

"Well then," she smiled. "When I'm at work, or cooking, or in the shower, sometimes even when I'm just laying in bed trying to fall asleep, I think of you, and how damn sexy you are. Of course this leads to me thinking of how good in bed you are, and while I love having sex with you, I really usually end up fantasizing about giving you the best head of your life."

"And what does that look like?" I asked her, since I was curious how it looked in her mind compared to what my mental picture was.

"Funnily enough, you're usually wearing one of your work suits, and you're mostly clothed. I'm on my knees of course, where I can do what I do best."

"So maybe I shouldn't change clothes when I get home first thing later," I suggested.

"Not if you want me to suck your cock later."

I groaned, and then growled when my cell phone started buzzing on my desk. I looked over to see who was interrupting and it was my boss.

"Fuck, I have to go. The boss is calling," I grumbled. Really, it was my own fault for Skyping with her when I knew she was naked.

"And I was just about to get to the good part," she pouted, then smiled. "I guess I'll see you later then."

"Yes you will," I said. "Have a good day, Sookie."

"You too, sweetie," she said with a small wave.

I waved back and then disconnected the chat. I took a few deep breaths and then called the boss back.

oOoOoOo

Sookie made good on her promise later that evening when I got home from work. My brain was barely functioning again and she was already talking; although about what I wasn't sure and it showed when she waved her hand in front of my face to get my attention.

"I know I just kind of sucked your brain out of your dick, but I am talking about something important here," she laughed.

"Sorry," I gave her a dopey smile.

"It's okay. It's nice to know I'm not bad at it."

"You are far from bad at it," I said reassuringly. "Anyone who says you are has serious problems."

"I've never had any complaints," she said. "Well, one actually."

I quirked an eyebrow, but that was all the question she got out of me.

"He didn't like that I took time to get myself off too," she explained. "He said blow jobs were all about him."

"Selfish asshole," I shook my head.

"That's why we didn't last. I really don't have the best taste in men."

"Present company excluded, I hope," I raised my eyebrows. If she had been talking about us taking a step back and seeing other people she'd picked a fucked up time to do it.

"To be honest, you're the first one I've ever felt I chose right with," she smiled up at me.

I pulled her up off the floor and she parked herself on my knee. I kissed her because words were still sparse in my mind, but I hoped she got the point of what I would have said if I could have found the words.

"Do you want to know what I was saying?"

"Yes please," I smiled at her.

"I was telling you the rest of my fantasy," she smiled.

"And I missed it?" I wanted to kick my own ass.

"You did," she nodded. "But I might be compelled to tell you again."

"I would love to hear it," I told her.

"Since I just blew your mind, almost literally, I know it will take you a minute or twenty to get ready again," she said with a smirk. "So in my fantasy, you throw me onto the bed and thank me in that special way only you can until you can fuck me again."

"I think I can do that," I said, and pulled her into another kiss that lasted until I scooped her up off my knee, stood up and then tossed her back onto the bed.

An hour later we were both sated and starving. Sookie proclaimed that she wasn't much of a cook, but I begged to differ. Then again, my mother was definitely not a cook, so anything Sookie made for me was gourmet by the standards I was used to growing up. Although I will say having her walking around my apartment in her tiny boy shorts and one of my t-shirts didn't make it easy to concentrate on cooking instead of her. We had agreed on breakfast for dinner, and I was in the middle of scrambling some eggs when she sucked in a deep breath, and then put her hand on her stomach.

"You okay?" I asked her, since she didn't really look like she was okay.

"No, that was weird," she said. "It was like a cramp, but a sharp one."

"Did you eat something bad today?" I asked her.

"Not that I know of. I had cereal for breakfast, and a PB&J for lunch."

"Maybe it was just a one time thing," I suggested, and added a little butter to the skillet on the stove.

"Maybe," she said, and then sucked in another breath as she hunched forward a little. "Maybe not."

I didn't know what to do for her so I just put a hand on her shoulder while she took a series of deep breaths until she was able to stand up again.

"Why don't you go lay down and I'll finish dinner?" I suggested.

"Can I use your computer?" she asked. "I don't think this is normal."

"Yeah, sure. It's in the spare bedroom on the desk," I told her. "The password is Fort Bragg 89, all one word and lowercase letters."

"Okay," she said, and headed back to the spare room.

I poured the eggs into the pan to get them started and pulled the pan of bacon out of the the oven. Sookie came back with the computer and I asked, "Do you want toast? I've got like three different kinds of bread and English muffins."

"I'm not sure I can eat right now," she said as she started typing on the computer.

"Does your stomach hurt that bad? I'm sure I have some kind of stomach ache medicine in the bathroom if you need it," I offered.

"It's not my stomach, Eric," she said.

"Then what?" I quirked an eyebrow and she narrowed her eyes at me like I should know better. It took a moment, but then it clicked in my head. "Oh!"

She didn't say anything else, and kept typing, and clicking, and after a moment she hunched over again and made a face like she was in pain.

I moved the skillet off the heat and went over to where she was at the table. I crouched down next to her and asked, "Do I need to take you to the hospital?"

"I don't know," she said, and I noticed she had tears in her eyes. "This might be normal, but I haven't found anything yet."

"What are you looking up?" I asked, and then moved over so I could see the monitor. The word 'miscarriage' was bolded. Uh oh.

"Ow," she almost hissed, and grabbed my hand. "Can we just go? This doesn't feel right."

"Yeah, of course," I said, and helped her up.

Sookie went to get dressed while I turned off the stove so my kitchen didn't catch fire, and then I went back to the bedroom to get dressed. She was curled on her side on my bed with tears in her eyes when I walked into the room. That couldn't be a good sign.

"Is it worse?" I asked her as I pulled on a t-shirt.

She nodded, and said, "I've never had cramps this bad."

"Is there anything I can do? Do you want some ibuprofen or something?" I asked since I couldn't think of anything else that would help her.

"No," she shook her head. "Can you just help me into the bathroom?"

"Yeah, of course," I said, but rather than getting her on her feet, I picked her up and carried her in there. I set her down gently, and was hesitant to step back. She looked a little pale, which made me nervous. Well, more nervous.

"Give me a minute?"

"I'll be right outside," I stepped out of the bathroom, closed the door and paced in front of it just in case she needed me.

I listened for anything that might be going on in the bathroom because even though I wasn't prone to panic, Sookie wasn't looking so good and I didn't want her to faint and smack her head on the tub or the sink or something when she fell. I realized then how uneducated I was when it came to pregnancy and all that reproductive stuff so I had no idea what the signs of a miscarriage even were, although I suspected that if Sookie was bleeding that was probably a bad thing. I heard her whimper and then call my name.

I pushed the door open almost immediately and went into the bathroom.

"Oh shit," I muttered when I saw the blood.

"I need to go," she cried.

"Okay, okay," I said calmly, and helped her up off the floor. She kept her arms around my neck while I fixed her pants, and then I picked her up again. "Do I need to grab anything before we go?"

"Get a towel for your car."

I grabbed one off the rack on the wall, and stopped in the bedroom to grab her bag, my wallet and keys, and then took her downstairs. I didn't usually drive much in the city, opting to walk or take trains instead, but in this situation I wasn't going to waste time waiting. When we got to the garage behind my building I set her down so I could put the towel on the passenger's seat, and then helped her into the car. I sincerely hoped that it wouldn't take forever to get to the hospital, but considering it was summer, also known as construction season, there were no guarantees.

When I got into the driver's seat, she was curled up on her side, still crying.

"Maybe it's not as bad as you think," I said, reaching for her hand as I started the car.

"There's too much blood," she said.

I couldn't think of anything to say that would reassure her, so I just held her hand while I drove the few miles to St. Joseph Hospital. I let her out at the emergency room and took her inside so she could get herself into triage while I parked my car. It took forever to find a parking space, and then there was the walk back to the ER. She had been taken to a curtained off area but a doctor hadn't come in to see her yet. I sat on the edge of the bed she was lying on and smoothed her hair back from her forehead.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?" I asked gently, and reached for her hand. If she was having a miscarriage I knew it wasn't her fault.

"I don't know," she sniffled. "It had to have been something I did."

"No," I shook my head. "It just happens sometimes. You haven't had a drink since the night you got pregnant. You don't smoke or do drugs. You eat relatively healthy and you sleep normally. You're a healthy person and you were doing good things. You even gave up coffee. This isn't your fault."

"But I didn't want it," she whispered.

I wanted to stretch out next to her and hold her while she cried, but I couldn't do that in such a tiny bed. For now holding her hand and stroking her hair would have to do. I told myself that maybe it wasn't as bad as she thought. Maybe things would still be okay.

"This isn't your fault," I told her again because it was all I could say.

Sookie didn't say much after that, and thankfully a doctor came in a few minutes later to examine her. She explained about the pregnancy tests and then the pain and bleeding she was experiencing. I held her hand while the doctor did a pelvic exam on her, and made sure to keep my eyes on hers and no where else.

"I need to do an ultrasound, but so far I would say you're most likely pregnant," the doctor said when he was done with the pelvic exam. Sookie whimpered again when he pressed on her stomach a little.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, not at all happy with how scared Sookie looked, or the way she was squeezing my hand every time he pressed on her.

"Trying to get a sense of how big her uterus is," the doctor said calmly. "It'll tell me how far along the pregnancy is."

That made sense, but I still didn't like it.

"I'm going to call O.B. down for a consult," he said, and made notes on Sookie's chart before handing it off to a nurse that I hadn't even noticed coming into the little curtained area. "Just hang tight, and someone should be down shortly to take a look."

Yeah, like we were going to just get up and leave.

"I don't like him," Sookie said after he left.

"Me either," I kissed her hand. "Hopefully the doctor that comes down to do the ultrasound won't be such an asshole."

Nearly a half an hour later a Dr. Thornton came in wheeling a cart with a monitor on it. She explained what she was going to do after asking Sookie about her symptoms and reviewing the notes the previous doctor had made on Sookie's chart. She squirted whatever that gel stuff was onto Sookie's stomach and then moved that wand thing around in search of a heartbeat. When she didn't find one it was obvious because she got this sympathetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry," she said, glancing at Sookie. "I can't locate a heartbeat."

My heart sank for her, and I leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Was it... Could I have done anything?" Sookie asked her.

Dr. Thornton replaced the wand on the cart and turned off the machine before turning to face us both.

"The medical term for this is spontaneous abortion," Dr. Thornton informed us. "Chances are, there was something abnormal in the development, more than likely chromosomal abnormalities that you had no control over. It's not a reflection of your health, or, I assume this is the father," Dr. Thornton looked to me and I nodded. "Your health either. This doesn't mean you won't ever be able to carry a pregnancy to term. I know it's not very comforting, but it just happens sometimes. I don't see any evidence of a weak cervix. I'm going to prescribe some medications to make sure that will prevent infection and make sure that everything is expelled."

"Should I just treat this like I would my period?"

"For the most part, but there are a few things I need you to watch for," Dr. Thornton said, and then went over the list of symptoms that could bring Sookie back to the hospital if she experienced any of them. "I can also give you a referral for counseling, or get you some information on support groups if you think that's something you would be interested in."

"No, that's okay," she shook her head. "This wasn't planned."

"That doesn't mean this isn't a loss," Dr. Thornton said kindly. "Did you know you were pregnant?"

"I took two at home pregnancy tests. I had a doctor's appointment set up for the blood test."

"So you had time to get used to the idea," she pointed out. "It's perfectly acceptable, even preferable, that you go through the usual grieving process. If you change your mind about seeing a counselor you can always discuss it with your regular doctor, okay?"

"Okay," Sookie said with a nod.

"Okay, I'm going to get those prescriptions written up for you and I want you to make an appointment with your regular doctor for a follow up visit in a few days. If any of those symptoms I mentioned before start to flare up you need to seek medical attention immediately, even if you're still taking the medications," Dr. Thornton told her.

"Don't worry, Doc, I'll keep an eye on her," I promised, and I had every intention of doing that.

"Thank you, Doctor," Sookie said.

"You're welcome," she patted Sookie's foot. "A nurse will be in shortly with your discharge papers and the prescriptions. Take care, Sookie."

Then she was gone.

"You're staying with me tonight," I told Sookie. "I don't care if it's at my place or yours, but I'm not leaving you alone."

She nodded, but didn't say anything.

A nurse came in a few minutes later with papers for Sookie to sign, aftercare instructions and the prescriptions Dr. Thornton had talked about. With Sookie officially discharged she was able to get dressed in a pair of scrub pants the hospital gave her since her other pants were bloody. Sookie threw them away instead of taking them home and I didn't blame her. It wasn't until we were back in the car that I remembered there was blood on the bathroom floor and I hoped that she would let me go in there and clean it up before she saw it.

We stopped at a drug store on the way back to my apartment and I offered to go inside and fill the prescriptions for her, but Sookie wanted to come in as well.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" I asked her since she still looked a little pale.

"Yeah," she said. "I need to get some pads anyway."

"Okay," I nodded, and then got out of the car. I went around to help her out, and then I reached for her hand so we could walk into the store together.

We parted ways so I could drop off her prescriptions at the pharmacy and Sookie went on the hunt for whatever it was she needed to get. All I could think about was the way Sookie had whispered that she didn't want the baby, and really, we both knew she was speaking for both of us when she said it. We were going to keep the baby because it was the option we could live with, but if I was really honest with myself, neither of us really wanted it. It wasn't planned, and we weren't even in a place where it was a pleasant surprise.

It just happened and we were planning to make the best of it.

Suddenly I felt guilty because the kid deserved better than that. I wondered if maybe somehow it knew we weren't ready so it just decided to checkout early and save us all a lot of trouble, but that didn't seem right. I believed what Dr. Thornton said about it just being a spontaneous thing, and that there was nothing Sookie could have done differently. What I wasn't sure about was whether it was better to have really wanted to have a baby and lose it, or be in the situation we were in.

I figured either way it would suck, and I tried to figure out what I could say to make Sookie feel better about what had happened, but I decided just about anything I said would be wrong since I didn't know what she was feeling. The best thing I could do was be there for her and hope that this didn't somehow ruin our relationship.

But then I found Sookie in the baby aisle, staring at cheap plastic bottles with tears streaming down her face. I didn't say anything; I just wrapped her in a hug and let her cry it out. Even when the pharmacy announced her medications were ready, I didn't try to usher her along.

They could wait.

* * *

**Hope you're still with us after that. Thanks for reading!  
**


	6. Together

Chapter 5 - Together

**SPOV**

"Sookie, sweetheart, you have to eat something," Eric said after sitting down on the edge of the bed. He'd set a tray down on the bedside table. "It's just a grilled cheese and tomato soup, but it's something."

"I'm not hungry," I said, and rolled away from him.

He sighed and said, "Then I'll just leave this here in case you change your mind."

He kissed my head and then got up to go to the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and I heard water running in the sink a moment later. For a moment I wondered what he was doing, and then I realized that there must have been a mess in there from earlier, and that brought on a fresh wave of tears.

I was sad about miscarrying, but not devastated like I'm sure most mothers-to-be would be. The fact that I was even relieved over it made me feel so incredibly guilty that I almost couldn't bear to be in my own skin. What kind of mother would I have turned out to be? Not a very good one if I was relieved that my baby was dead.

When I saw the baby stuff at the pharmacy it really hit me that I could have been there buying those things in just a few months. I could have had a baby to take care of. And it would have been okay. Eric and I would have handled it, but now we'd never get that chance. At the same time I was glad, because neither of us was ready for it.

I was experiencing entirely too many emotions to deal with, and all I wanted was to sleep it all off. I tried desperately to fall asleep, but I couldn't let myself relax enough. And Eric was right, I probably should have eaten something, but I had no appetite. I was back to sobbing again when he came out of the bathroom.

He dropped a plastic bag outside the bedroom, and then came over to sit on the edge of the bed again. His hand rested on my shoulder, but he didn't say anything.

"Come here," I said, and pulled on his hand.

He climbed over me carefully and stretched out on his side so we were face to face.

"What are you thinking?" I asked while experiencing those awful crying hiccups.

"I'm thinking about you," he tucked some of my hair behind my ear. "I'm worried about you."

"But what about the miscarriage?"

"I think maybe this is our way of knowing it wasn't the right time for us," he said quietly.

"I feel so guilty," I confessed. "I didn't want it, and now it's gone, and I was actually relieved. I'm an awful person, Eric."

"You're not," he said. "If you are then I guess I am too, and I don't think I'm an awful person."

"So you felt it too?"

"Yeah, I felt it too," he agreed.

"What do we do now?"

"I don't know," he said, and looked as confused as I felt.

"If ever there was a time for you to open up to me, it's now."

"I honestly don't know, Sook. It's not just my usual closed off thing working against me here. I don't have any answers for this one. I guess we just try to do the normal stuff? I don't know," he said sincerely.

"But do you even want to?"

"Not tonight," he said, and pulled me a little closer. "Tonight I just want to stay here with you, even if I just watch you sleep."

I nodded, and snuggled into his chest, and when he kissed the top of my head I lost it again.

"It's going to be okay, Sookie. It might not feel like it now, but it will be," he said quietly and rubbed my back while I cried.

"I know," I cried. "I just wasn't prepared for this."

"I know," he kissed my head again.

"Can I stay with you for a few days?" I asked him.

"Sure, if you want to," he said, but seemed relieved that I mentioned it first.

"I won't stay long. I just need to be near someone else right now."

"Sookie, it's fine," he smiled at me. "And I already emailed my boss to tell him I'm not coming in tomorrow."

"You didn't have to do that," I told him even though I was glad he did.

"Yes I did. I wouldn't be able to concentrate at work anyway, and I'd just be calling you every ten minutes to check on you, and you'd get annoyed and stop answering your phone... it wouldn't work well for either of us. This way I can make sure you eat something and we can just be bums on my couch or something," he suggested.

"That sounds good," I said.

"If you give me your keys I can run over to your place and pick up some stuff for you if you want," he offered.

"Can it wait until the morning?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Whatever you want."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"What do we do now?"

"What do you want to do?"

"I think I want to try eating that grilled cheese."

"That sounds like a good idea," he smiled at me. "Want me to get it?"

"Please."

He kissed me gently, and then got off the bed to get the tray for me. I sat up and let him set the tray in my lap, then picked up half the sandwich.

"Do you want the other half?" I asked him.

"No, that's all yours," he said, and sat on the edge of the bed again. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Some water would be good," I said.

"You got it. Anything else? Chips, ice cream..." he asked as he stood up.

"Eric..."

"Just asking," he smiled at me. "I take it that's a no, right?"

"That's a please get me a water, and something for yourself to eat too."

"I ate while I was making yours," he said, and bent to kiss my forehead. "I'll be right back with your water."

"Thank you," I smiled, and continued eating the sandwich he'd made me. It was still good even though it had gone cold. I knew I couldn't eat the soup cold though, so I decided to put it back in the fridge for later. I was trying to get up when Eric came back in the room.

"Whoa, whoa, what do you need?" he asked, hustling around to the side of the bed, and setting down the glass of water on the bedside table.

"I just wanted to put the soup away for later," I said. "I'm fine."

"I got it," he took the bowl. "Keep eating."

"I'm not helpless," I said as I settled back down.

"I know you're not, but I want you to just take it easy," he said and left the bedroom with the soup.

I was suddenly re-thinking staying with him for a few days. I knew it would be good for the both of us, but if he kept insisting on doing everything for me I was going to end up kicking his shin.

"Do you need anything else while I'm up?" Eric asked from the bedroom doorway when he came back.

"No," I said. "I just need you to come back to bed."

"Okay," he nodded, and then climbed up next to me. "How's your sandwich?"

"It's good. It would have been better hot, but it's still hitting the spot."

"I can make you another one if-"

"Eric, stop. I'm fine. This is fine. We're fine."

"I was just going to say if you're still hungry," he said.

"I'm good, thank you."

"Okay."

"So are we okay?" I asked him.

"I didn't think we weren't," he looked at me. "Did you?"

"I hoped we were okay," I said. "I don't want you to stay with me out of sympathy."

"Sookie, I asked you to stay because I want you to."

"I mean in the long run," I said. "I just... you never really say how you feel about me. And I can see it. I know you like me a lot, and I like you a lot too..."

"Yeah, I do like you a lot," he agreed. "The way I see it, this situation can work out one of two ways. Either it can break us up, or it can make us stronger. I hope it's option number two because I don't want to lose you."

"Ditto," I said, and picked up his hand.

"I don't know what else to do for you, Sookie. So if that means making you meals or just giving you a hug whenever you need it, that's really all I've got here," he explained.

"I guess that's all you really can do."

"But if I'm making you crazy just say so," he smiled at me. "I don't want to smother you."

"I'll clue you in if you are," I smiled back. "I really appreciate everything you've been doing, Eric. I couldn't get through this okay without you."

"You don't have to worry about that happening," he picked up my hand and kissed it. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Neither am I."

"Good," he said, and glanced at my plate. "All done?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," he reached for the tray to take it to the kitchen for me.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom," I told him before he left the room. "So don't freak out when I'm not in the bed when you get back."

"I promise not to pace outside the bathroom door," he promised with a wink, and then went to the kitchen.

I got up and slowly made my way to the bathroom. I was still a little crampy, and after going pee I decided a nice hot shower sounded good. I didn't care if Eric joined me or not, so I just started up the water and got in.

"Sook?" Eric called out a few minutes later. "There's a clean t-shirt for you on the vanity."

"Will you come in here?" I called back to him.

He peeked around the curtain and asked, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just wondered if you would join me."

"Sure," he smiled, and disappeared for a few seconds while he took off his clothes.

He stepped into the shower a moment later, and I moved around so he could get under the water.

"I feel strange," I told him.

"Strange how?" he asked nervously.

"Just... strange," I shrugged. "It's weird to go from thinking I was going to be holding a baby in nine months to knowing it's not going to happen."

"Are you disappointed?" he asked.

"Honestly," I frowned. "I think a part of me is, but I also think that it's the part of me that wants to be a mom someday."

"Someday you will be," he said. "When the time is right, it'll happen and you'll be... there won't be any questions about what to do."

"Would it freak you out if I said that a part of me hopes it's with you?"

"No," he said with a hint of a smile.

"Wow," I smiled, and then let out a small laugh. "That's the first time I've gotten the impression that you might be falling for me too."

"I think about the future," he said. "I'm just not sure what I see yet."

"It's okay, Eric. I don't want you to tell me things that you don't feel, but it would be nice to get a clue at what you do feel every now and then."

He reached up and cupped my face in his big hands before he said, "I feel lucky to be here with you, taking care of you. I'm happy you're here even if the circumstances for it suck."

"That'll do," I smiled, and stretched up on my toes to kiss him.

He pressed his forehead to mine and said, "When I close my eyes and try to see my future there's someone standing next to me there, but I can't see her face. I hope that someday when it comes into focus that it's yours."

"Then I hope you'll clue me in if that happens."

"I will," he promised.

"Just so you know, when I close my eyes and see my future, I know I'm with someone too, but I can't see who it is either."

"That's okay," he smiled at me.

"I should also warn you that I see lots of kids in my future."

"I like kids," he said, which surprised me. "You look shocked."

"I just... I've never seen you around kids. And you just... I don't know. I'm just surprised."

"Well, I'm not around kids too often, except for my secretary's kids when they come by the office, but they're not so bad," he shrugged. "Besides, kids are fun to be around. They're full of energy and sometimes they say some really smart things without knowing they're doing it."

I felt like my heart was swelling at his words, and then all of a sudden I was in tears again.

"Shit," he muttered, and wrapped me in a hug. "We probably shouldn't be talking about this right now, should we?"

"It's not that," I cried. "It's just that what you just said is the kind of thing I wanted to hear days ago. And I guess it's a little bit the timing."

"Sorry," he apologized.

"It's okay," I said, and wiped my face with my hands. "I just don't understand why it's so hard for you to open up like that sometimes. I wish I did."

"I'm a lot like my father," he confessed. "Dad's always been a little out of reach in a lot of ways. We talk, but... I don't know, it's more like he's interested in being my buddy than my father and it's always been like that. For some reason I seem to have inherited that."

"So then it's something I need to get used to."

"No, not necessarily," he said. "I could be a hard ass about it, or I could try to grow, but it won't happen overnight. You know, you're the first person to call me on it besides my mother?"

"Really?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"I feel rather intuitive," I chuckled.

"Or maybe you care more than most people," he suggested.

"I do care," I said, and reached up to touch his beautiful face. "I did tell you I was falling for you, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," he nodded. "But that's sort of my point."

"I suppose it is," I smiled. "You're a great man, Eric. If every girl you meet doesn't fall in love with you, then they're insane."

"I don't need every girl... just one."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," he said, and then kissed me.

"When you kiss me like that," I said when he pulled away, "I feel like none of my problems exist."

"Me too," he said, and then kissed me again.

"The water's gone cold," I said a few minutes later.

"I didn't even notice," he smiled at me, but then reached back to shut it off.

"That's because I'm a good kisser."

"You're a great kisser," he corrected, and pulled back the shower curtain.

"Thank you," I smiled.

We got out, and Eric handed me a towel before drying himself off with one.

"Thanks for getting in with me."

"You're welcome. Really, it was an easy decision," he said as he wrapped a towel around his waist. "You look insanely good naked."

"As do you," I smiled. "I hope you know that you're cut off for a while though."

"That's okay," he reached for his toothbrush.

"I just want to be okay again first," I explained.

"That's understandable," he said. "You take all the time you need."

"I think having you to snuggle up to at night is going to help drastically."

"You can have that as many nights as you need," he said, and started to brush his teeth.

I finished drying off and got myself dressed, then brushed my own teeth while Eric pulled on a pair of boxers to wear to bed. It really was unfair how pretty he was. Everything felt normal again for those few short minutes, but the moment we laid down in bed the events of the last few hours came flooding back to me, and I found myself in tears all over again.

Eric quietly and gently managed to shift himself underneath me so my head was resting on his chest, and he ran his fingers through my hair while I cried. I felt like a pathetic child needing to be consoled like that, but I knew in my heart that Eric didn't see it that way.

I only hoped that if he needed consoling he would come to me too.

* * *

**Makesmyheadspin and I are really glad no one hates us for the miscarriage! This story is more about a couple growing together through some really tough things, and we hope you continue to enjoy it :)**


	7. The Honeymoon's Over

**Posting this now because I work a double tomorrow and won't be home until late. **

* * *

Chapter 6 - Honeymoon's Over

******EPOV**

In the days following the miscarriage Sookie stayed with me like she said she wanted to. I liked having her around. The first day we stayed lazy, except for the quick trip to her apartment to pick up some of her stuff. Not that I minded her walking around in my t-shirts and boxers, but I was sure she'd be more comfortable in her own clothes. Besides, there was other stuff she needed. Sookie would tear up at random times, but whenever there was a diaper commercial on she would frown a little.

I hadn't talked about the miscarriage with anyone but her, but then I hadn't told anyone else. There hadn't been a chance for me to talk to my parents about it, and I decided maybe it would be best if I didn't even mention it to them. Talking with Sookie about it was challenging enough for me, but I was doing my best to open myself up to her. It was while I was lying on the couch a few days after it happened, just watching Sookie sleep, that I realized the honeymoon phase of our relationship was officially over.

Shit got real, and in a big way.

The first few months were easy. We were pawing at each other constantly, trading little tidbits of information about ourselves. She was falling in love with me and I realized then that if I couldn't see her in my future then I owed it to her to tell her that so we could move on to new people. We were going to have one of those talks sooner or later and I better know what the hell I wanted before she brought it up. Even better would be surprising her by just dropping that information out of the blue.

But what did I want?

I was sure I didn't want to lose her. She was good for me, even if it was frustrating to not be able to say the things she needed to hear sometimes. That would get better in time though, wouldn't it? It would just take practice and I decided the first thing I needed to figure out was whether or not I trusted her. If I trusted her, then telling her what was going on in my head would make things easier, right? So did I trust Sookie?

She hadn't done anything to make me not trust her. She had always been honest and upfront with me about herself and the things she wanted. There were surprises with Sookie, but none that made me want to run screaming. Even when she told me she was pregnant my instincts hadn't told me to run, and when that doctor at the ER had been a dick to her my instincts told me to take him out back and make sure he was never able to impregnate anyone. I wanted to protect her, comfort her, make her feel better about what we had been through.

And because she had been leaning on me I knew she trusted me. We had fun together, naked or otherwise, and she actually didn't mind my idiot friends. In fact, the guys liked her a lot, and not just because of her penchant for wearing tight dresses or low-cut shirts when we went out (although I'm sure that had a little something to do with it). She was smart, witty and kind to everyone, even when they didn't necessarily deserve it.

She had told me that any girl who didn't fall in love with me would be insane, and it was while I watched her sleep that stormy Saturday afternoon that I realized I felt the same way about her. Yeah, I trusted Sookie, and even more important, I was falling in love with her. But rather than scaring the shit out of me the way it would with other girls in the past, I was excited about it. I figured out that if we could get past the miscarriage and come out of it stronger, that had to mean something other than just a tragic plot point in our life stories.

I considered waking her up to tell her what I had figured out, but decided against it. It could wait. Letting her sleep was more important to me. She needed to heal herself, both physically and emotionally, and I was hell bent on making sure she came away from all of this as unscathed as possible. I was about to doze off when an idea came to me, and I slipped out from under Sookie as carefully as I could since I didn't want to wake her.

Back in my spare bedroom/office I started my laptop and started doing some research. The idea I had in my head might be a little crazy and maybe Sookie wouldn't even want to do it, but I figured it couldn't hurt to at least look into it. What I found told me I wasn't the only one who'd had a similar idea, and I could only hope that Sookie would see it as a good thing and not something designed to make her feel worse.

Just like Dr. Thornton had said, even if the baby hadn't been planned it was still a loss. I would be more worried about Sookie if she didn't cry than the small breakdowns she'd have here and there. But maybe this would help her. I printed up a few papers, downloaded a few songs and then set everything on the kitchen table to show her when she woke up from her nap. Apparently the weather was as anxious for that to happen as I was, since a loud clap of thunder boomed all around us at the same time an extremely bright flash of lightning lit everything up. There was a sizzling sound and then the power went out, leaving us in darkness.

And it was only three in the afternoon.

"Eric?" Sookie called, sounding a little scared and disoriented.

"I'm here," I said, and started for the living room.

"What's going on?" she asked, and when I sat down next to her she reached for me.

"Just a nasty storm," I said, and hugged her against me.

"I hate getting woken by storms," she said, and I noticed she was shaking. "Always have."

"Don't worry, we'll be safe here," I smiled against the top of her head. "Although we might not have lights for a while."

"That's okay."

"Aside from being woken up like that, how was your nap?" I asked, running my hand up and down her arm gently.

"It was good. It was the first time I didn't have the dreams."

"That's good," I nodded. Sookie was having a series of troubling dreams that more often than not resulted in her waking up crying and feeling fresh waves of guilt over what had happened. I felt terrible for her, but knew enough about dreams to know it meant she was trying to reconcile something with her conscience. I wondered if that meant she wasn't feeling so haunted anymore.

"I'm starting to feel like I'm not going to be a mess forever."

"Also good," I said. "I uh, I had an idea. I thought maybe... hang on," I said, and then got up to get the papers I'd printed from the internet. I brought them back to the couch where Sookie was waiting and handed them to her. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to, but I thought maybe it would help."

She looked over the papers quietly, and when she looked back up at me she simply nodded with tears in her eyes before hugging me.

"Does that mean you want to do it?" I asked her. "I didn't know if this would make it worse for you, but I thought maybe being able to say goodbye was a good thing."

"I want to do it. I think it'll give us some closure."

"That's what I was thinking. We don't have to do it right away," I said. "Just whenever you feel ready."

"I'm almost there."

"Okay. There's no rush."

"Thank you for looking this up."

"You're welcome," I smiled, and kissed her head.

"Now is there something we can eat with the power out, because my stomach is growling."

"I'm sure we can find something," I said, and took the papers from her to set them on the coffee table before getting up.

"If only you had a fireplace," she said with a smile. "We could make smores."

"There's a grill out on the patio," I reminded her.

"It's raining."

"The patio's covered," I shrugged, and went to check and see if the patio was wet. "It's relatively dry out there for the most part."

"Until the wind blows the rain sideways," she laughed. "But if you want to risk it, I'm game."

"It's just water," I shrugged again. "We won't melt. Besides, it could be fun, don't you think?"

"Getting wet is fun?"

"Yup," I nodded. "Now let's see if I even have the stuff to make 'smores, otherwise this argument is a waste of time."

I had marshmallows, but that was it. I did, however, have a package of hot dogs that we could grill, so at least there was that. I went outside to get the grill started while Sookie went to the bathroom. She came outside a few minutes later with the hot dogs in one hand and the marshmallows in the other.

"See? It's not too bad out here," I said. There was even a cool breeze thanks to the passing storm.

"Yeah, you were right."

"Hopefully the power comes back soon anyway," I kissed her head, and then went inside to look for skewers.

When I came back out, little bamboo sticks in hand, she was leaning against the railing and staring out into the distance.

"You okay?" I asked her, and started to skewer a couple of marshmallows.

"Yeah," she nodded, and smiled.

I handed her one of the skewers loaded with marshmallows and asked, "Are you having a hot dog too, or just toasted sugary confections?"

"I'd love a hot dog too," she snickered.

"You got it," I said, and pulled a couple of them from the package to get them started.

"Should we have the marshmallows as appetizers or dessert?"

"How about both?" I suggested.

Sookie jumped again with the next burst of thunder overhead, and I'll admit it sounded like an explosion.

"Oh hell no, I'm going inside," she said, and was inside quicker than a little girl who just saw a mouse.

I couldn't help laughing. I had no idea Sookie was scared of thunderstorms. I closed the grill and went inside to make sure she wasn't hiding in my bathtub or under my bed, and found her roasting marshmallows over the gas flame on the stove.

"Not a fan of thunderstorms period, are you?"

"I can admire them from inside, but not out there with all that metal."

"Then I will leave you in charge of the appetizers/dessert," I kissed the top of her head, and looked in the pantry for the grill tongs.

"How do you like your marshmallows?" she asked.

"I'm not picky," I said as I pulled the tongs down from the top shelf, and then walked back into the kitchen. I went to the junk drawer and pulled out a flashlight for her as well. "Just in case you're also afraid of the dark," I teased.

She glared at me, but was fighting a smile. "I'm not scared of the dark."

"Like I said, just in case," I smirked, and then went outside to check the hot dogs.

I was in the middle of turning them when Sookie came to the sliding glass door and handed me a skewer with a pair of perfectly toasted marshmallows on it.

"You know, this was probably my dream dinner when I was like six," I snickered, and then slid one of the marshmallows off the skewer.

"It's my dream dinner now, who are you kidding," she smiled.

I laughed and said, "You're a cheap date."

"And damn proud of it."

"I'm not complaining," I ate my other marshmallow and handed the skewer back to her. "Hot dogs should be ready in a minute."

"You have ketchup, yes?" she asked.

"In the fridge," I told her.

"Good boy."

"I'm glad you approve," I shook my head and she stuck her tongue out at me before retreating back into the apartment when lightning flashed again.

I went inside just to get a plate to put the hot dogs on, and came back in a minute later with our finished dinner. It was kind of pathetic, but it would work. We sat on the living room floor at the coffee table with the flashlight on and the light end aimed up at the ceiling.

"I wonder if there's power at your place," I said as Sookie squeezed a ridiculous amount of ketchup onto her plate.

"It's possible, but I'm not really interested in going over there to find out. I'd rather stay here and cuddle."

"It's going to get too warm in here to cuddle soon," I said.

"That's true," she frowned. "It's a shame too because I like your cuddles."

"There's always the option of going for a swim in my tub," I pointed out.

"You do have a ridiculously large tub," she nodded, then dipped her hot dog in ketchup and took a bite.

"I'm sure we'll figure out ways to stay entertained. If nothing else, we could always go see a movie or something," I suggested. I hadn't been to a movie in... hell, it was a long ass time.

"A movie sounds good. Maybe if the rain lets up."

"We'll figure it out after dinner," I said, and took a bite of my hot dog.

"This is the best dinner I've had in a while."

"I think it's kind of scary that I agree with you," I chuckled.

"It's the simple things in life," she smiled.

I nodded my agreement and we fell into a comfortable silence while we finished eating. When we were done we took our plates back to the kitchen and debated over what to do. Since there was no way of knowing how long the power was going to be out for, we figured we might as well take our chances and go to a movie. We were also going to have to take our chances with what was playing since we couldn't get on the internet to see what was at the theater a few blocks away. Sookie went to change her clothes while I rinsed off the dinner dishes and went outside to turn off the grill.

The rain was slowing down, which was a good sign, but it hadn't stopped yet. If we were lucky power would be restored by the time we got back from the movie. I put my shoes on and waited for Sookie in the living room.

She came out wearing jeans and one of my t-shirts, which she'd tucked into the front of her pants. "I'm ready," she smiled.

"Then let's go," I smiled back and opened the door for her.

She flashed a cheesy grin at me on her way out and I locked the door behind us before following her down the stairs. The air smelled of rain outside, as it should, and we walked hand in hand down the street toward the much busier intersection at the end of the block.

"Should we walk or do you want to hop on a train?" I asked her when we got to the corner.

"I'd like to walk," she said. "It feels nice to be out."

"That's fine with me." We turned the corner and tried to dodge other pedestrians who obviously wanted to get out of the rain.

"The rain isn't so bad when it's not thundering and lightening."

"For your sake I hope it doesn't kick up again and get so loud we can hear it in the theater," I said while wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"I'll have you there to hold my hand," she said.

"That's true," I agreed, and debated over whether or not it was the right time to tell her what I had been thinking about before she woke up.

"If I haven't said it yet, I really do appreciate you being my rock these last few days," she said. "I'm not sure you know how much you've helped."

"You have mentioned it, and you don't need to thank me for it. I wouldn't be anywhere else," I told her, and kissed her head. "And while you were sleeping I did some thinking..."

"Yeah? What about?"

"You and me... the way things are now, the way they could be in the future. I've thought a lot about the things you said to me in the shower the other night," I said, and tried not to laugh at the way her cheeks got a bit red. "I figured out that I never really opened myself up to anyone because I didn't trust them, but I trust you. You've never given me a reason not to, and you've always been honest with me so I want to be able to reciprocate that. Not just because you asked me to, but because I want to."

"What exactly are you telling me?" she asked, fighting a smile.

I pulled her off to the side under an awning and turned so we were face to face because I wanted to look her in her eyes. I didn't want her to think I was saying these things just to say them, or taking the cheap way out by mentioning it like it was nothing, because it really wasn't. Not for me, and I was pretty sure for her too.

"I'm telling you that the honeymoon is over," I said, and the hint of a smile that had been there was gone. "But that's not a bad thing, Sookie. That was the easy part. This, right now, this is the real stuff, and I'm not running. I'm a little scared but I think that's because for the first time I feel like I've got something to lose, which means I have something to fight for, and I'm pretty sure I'm falling in love with you."

She had a big smile on her face when she reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck. "See, that's very good news," she said.

"I thought so," I hugged her back.

"I'm scared too," she admitted. "I don't want to lose you either."

"I think we're going to be okay," he said.

"I think so too," she said, and I felt her kiss my neck before she pulled out of the hug. "At least, I know I'm going to work hard at us being okay."

"Me too," I said, and leaned down to kiss her proper. We got lost in it for a minute, but a bright flash of lightning broke that right up.

"Let's get to the theater before it opens up on us," she smiled, and took my hand again.

"Yes dear," I squeezed her hand and we were on our way.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	8. Word Vomit

**So glad everyone is enjoying their relationship! MMHS and work hard to make the relationships in our stories as real as possible.  
**

* * *

Chapter 7 - Word Vomit

**SPOV**

"I'm in love with him," I told Amelia, who was sitting on my couch eating funnel cake with me. She'd come over because she broke up with Bob, and wanted to check on me. I'd called her the day after I miscarried to tell her, and she had wanted to come over right away, but I explained that Eric and I needed a few days. She wasn't that happy about it, but she dealt with it.

"Really?" she looked surprised.

"Yeah," I nodded, and smiled. "I know it's fast, and I'm thinking I shouldn't tell him yet, but I do."

"You don't have to tell him if you're not ready to put it out there," she said. "But good for you. I'm happy for you, Sook."

"Thank you. And I'm sorry I just sprung that on you after you broke up with Bob."

"No, it's okay. One of us should be happy," she said. "I should have dumped that jackass weeks ago."

"I'm glad you finally realize that," I said, and tore a bit of funnel cake off the plate between us. "Now to give Tray a call and tell him you're finally single."

"Sook!" She rolled her eyes.

"You do know he's interested, right?"

"Well good for him," she plucked off a piece of funnel cake.

"Oh come on, you're not the least bit interested?"

"He's a good friend, and he's a great guy, but I... I just don't think of Tray like that," she shrugged.

"That's a shame," I said, and shrugged. "But you like who you like I guess."

"And I just got out of a relationship. I need to be by myself for a while. Besides, I seem to recall a certain bartender having an epic crush on you and you completely blowing him off in spite of the fact that Sam is one of the sweetest guys you've ever met," she pointed out.

"I just wasn't attracted to him. We wouldn't have worked."

"So then you understand why I'm not calling Tray," she smiled smugly at me.

"Yes, but you two actually would work."

"Says you," she snorted.

"And the way I see you looking at him sometimes."

"Okay, you need your eyes checked," she laughed, and then got up to go to the kitchen.

"Do not!" I called out to her.

"You totally do!" she argued.

I got up and followed her into the kitchen.

"You mean you don't find him the least bit attractive?"

She put the pitcher of iced tea she was holding back in the fridge and said, "I'm not saying Tray isn't a good looking guy, but that doesn't mean I want to be his girlfriend."

"I still think that one day you two are going to be married and we'll look back on this and laugh."

"And I say don't hold your breath," she grinned, and then took a drink of her iced tea.

"I have a feeling..." I smiled. "So what are you doing this weekend?"

"Dad's coming up for a visit," she grumbled. "Mostly to remind me that I could be living the good life down in New Orleans, instead of slaving away at a job I love and living in an apartment I adore. If you're going to wave your magic wand over something, save it for Copley."

"Maybe one day he'll realize you're happy and just deal with it."

"Yeah maybe," she sighed. "But what he thinks doesn't really matter. I don't need his permission to do anything, and since I don't live on his dime anymore, he can't say shit."

"It would still be nice to have a good relationship with your dad," I said, thinking of my own.

"It would," she agreed. "Especially since I don't have my mom, but I'm not willing to give up the life I have in order to make that happen."

"And you shouldn't have to."

"Nope, I shouldn't."

"It's his loss anyway," I smiled.

"Yep," she nodded. "So what tipped the scales with Eric? You didn't figure this out mid-orgasm, did you?"

"No," I snorted. "He was being really sweet taking care of me, and doing his best to open up to me about his feelings, and I just knew. I was sleeping on his couch the other day when we had all those storms, and the thunder woke me up, which has always freaked me out. But it used to be my mom that I wanted around during thunderstorms, even now, don't make fun of me."

"And a thunderstorm made you realize you were in love with Eric?" she quirked an eyebrow at me, clearly not following my chain of thought.

"No, yes... well, kind of. When I woke up the first person I called for was Eric. And it wasn't just because I'd been clinging to him for a few days at that point, it was because having him near makes me feel safe."

Amelia smiled warmly and said, "I love that feeling. It's a good feeling."

"Yeah it is," I smiled. "It's the first time a guy has ever made me feel that safe. And he was so good about it too. He told me we're out of the honeymoon stage and he still wants to fight to keep me."

"That's a very good sign."

"I've also decided to get on birth control finally," I told her. I hadn't even told Eric that yet.

"Good. Idea." She stared at me like I should have done that years ago.

"I know," I said, and kind of hung my head. "I was stupid about it, but I don't want to take any more chances. I kind of want to stop using condoms though."

"Girl," she shook her head.

"Not right now," I rolled my eyes. "I'm just kind of curious about not using them, and they're such a damn hassel."

"Well hopefully you don't get knocked up again on accident," she said with a straight face.

"Alright, I won't stop using them."

She rolled her eyes and said, "You do what you want, Sookie. You know the risks."

"Have you ever been in a relationship where you don't use them?"

"Yeah, I have. Not with Bobby, obviously, since he'd bang anything with a vagina, but yeah."

"And would you do it again?"

"Yeah, I would, if I was in a good relationship that was as solid as that one was," she nodded.

"Then do you think it's just too soon for Eric and me?"

"I can't tell you that, Sookie," she said like I should know better. "You're a smart girl, and if you're in love with him then you obviously trust him. So if that's what you want, and you feel comfortable with that, then talk to him about it."

"You're right," I shook my head. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

She giggled and left me standing there confused in the kitchen while she went back to the living room.

I followed and asked, "What's so funny?"

"Sweetie, you're always like this when you figure out you're in love with a guy. You get all flustered and insecure and start questioning everything. Just trust yourself. Your instincts are good," she told me.

"I've never been in love before."

"That's not what I remember," she said as she plopped down. "I seem to recall you telling me you were in love with JB."

"I was sixteen!"

"So? I was in love when I was sixteen. What's your point?"

"That was totally different than this."

She laughed and said, "Sook, that's what we all say! Of course it feels different this time because it's someone different, but love is love regardless of who it's with."

"But it is different," I insisted. "That was me as a teenager, thinking we'd be together forever just because we loved each other. This is me now, a little older, more experienced, a lot wiser and way more realistic. I know what it really means to love someone."

"So then there aren't any little thoughts in the back of your mind telling you that you want to be with Eric forever, is that it?" she asked.

"I'm not saying that, I'm just saying that I know that love isn't all it takes to be together anymore."

"So then what are you getting all bent out of shape over?" Amelia asked, and took another bite of the funnel cake.

"I'm not getting bent out of shape."

"You were bugging out in the kitchen a few minutes ago."

"Because I wasn't really listening to myself."

She rolled her eyes, but kept quiet.

"I'm serious!" I laughed. "You were right. I trust Eric, I love him. I know he's not going to run away if another accident happened. I'm not saying I want to take those risks just yet, but I know that I would be willing to in the future."

"Well I'm happy for you," she said with a smile. "And I'm glad things are working out for you and Eric."

"Thank you, Ames," I smiled, then my phone went off, alerting me to a text message.

"Is that him?" she asked.

"It is," I smiled at the message.

"What'd he say? Or is it the kind of thing that's going to give me the cringes?"

I rolled my eyes and read the message out loud. "My bed feels lonely without you. Want to come over tomorrow?"

"Awwwww." She gave me moon eyes.

"Isn't he perfect?" I couldn't stop grinning as I replied.

**I'd love to. After you get off work?**

"He certainly seems to be," she said.

He replied immediately with: **Yeah, that'd be good. I'll bring pizza home.**

I texted him once more telling him that would be great and I'd see him then, then set my phone down.

"He makes me smile," I told Amelia.

"I noticed."

"I'm annoying you with this, aren't I?"

"No, you're not annoying me," she said, but it was obvious I was a little bit.

"I'll tone it down," I laughed. "At least I'm not squealing into a pillow or something."

"Not yet," she snickered.

"I think I'm past the acceptable stage for that."

"Or you'll just wait until I go home."

"I haven't squealed over a boy in years," I said.

"Uh huh," she nodded indulgently.

"Bitch," I laughed.

She threw a pillow at me in response.

"Hey!" I threw it back.

"So how long before you give him a key to your place?" she asked, and pulled off another piece of the funnel cake.

"I haven't even thought about that to be honest."

"Eh," she shrugged. "That's kind of a good thing. It's probably too soon for that anyway."

"I think that's something for somewhere around the year mark anyway."

"When it feels right, it feels right."

"I don't think we go back and forth to each others places enough for that anyway. It'd be one thing if he was always coming over here, but it doesn't happen like that."

"Yeah," she laughed. "Because you're always over there."

"Not only that, but usually when we go to either of our places, we're with each other. Like you said though, it's too soon for keys anyway."

"It'll happen though," she said with conviction.

"Perhaps." I shrugged. "We'll see."

"Sook, you were going to have a baby with him. You mean to tell me that you were going to do that without ever living together? Come on," she waved me off. "I'm not trying to push you into it, by the way. All I'm saying is that I have a good feeling about it."

"I know what you mean, and we talked about living together but that was because of the baby, not because we wanted to since we were in love."

"Yeah, but it's different now, isn't it?" she smiled faintly. "How are you doing with that anyway? The miscarriage, I mean."

"I'm a lot better than I was," I admitted. "The first couple of days were really rough, and they were worse because I was still cramping a lot. Eric was really good to have around though. I'm still dealing with some guilt, but we got a lot of closure when we had a funeral."

"You had a funeral? Why didn't you tell me? I would have come," she said.

"I know you would have, but I think it was something Eric and I needed to do together. We both felt so awful because we lost something we never wanted in the first place. But we'd also gotten used to the idea."

"That's understandable. Did you like... I mean you didn't like go to a cemetery, did you?"

"No, we didn't actually bury anything," I said. "We both wrote a letter to the baby and read them out loud, then we burned them. It sounds strange, but it worked. It was good to get it all out."

"Awww that's sweet," she said with tears in her eyes.

I wiped my own tears off my cheeks and nodded. "It was what we needed. Eric did the research on it thinking it would help me."

"He did?" She really looked surprised at that.

"Yeah. I told you, he was really good to me."

Amelia shook her head slowly and said, "You are so going to marry this guy."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I know you, and I know that romantic little heart of yours and how you put more value on little things like that. Well, things would seem little, but actually aren't little at all. I mean if you had gone through this with Bill, I doubt he would have been looking up funerals for a miscarriage just to make you feel better," she pointed out.

"No, Bill definitely wouldn't have done that. He would have been telling me to just be happy that I wouldn't have to get fat anymore," I said, rolling my eyes. "But anyway, Eric would have to love me back and actually ask me to marry him first, and we're a long, long way from that."

"You're still gonna marry him. My sixth sense tells me so."

"Since when do you have a sixth sense?"

"Fine, don't believe me," she shrugged.

"It's not that I don't believe you, I just don't want to get my mind into that particular space. I'll end up saying something to Eric and freak him out."

"Is he weird about marriage?" she asked, just as her phone started ringing. "Shit, hang on a second." Amelia reached into her purse and looked to see who was calling. "Tray," she sighed.

"Ooooh," I giggled, then started singing under my breath. "Amelia and Tray sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

"Never gonna happen," she said, and then pushed a button on her phone to silence it before dropping it back in her purse.

"Amelia!"

"What? We're in the middle of a conversation. I can call Tray back later," she shrugged.

"Oy," I sighed. "And to answer your question, no, he's not really weird about it. The most we've talked about marriage was to say it wasn't on the table for either of us when we found out I was pregnant."

Her phone rang again and Amelia rolled her eyes.

"But it would be on the table someday? I mean, he's not opposed to it," she said, ignoring her phone.

"I don't think so. We both just agreed that it was too soon to consider, and definitely not the right circumstances. Now would you please answer your phone?"

"I'll call him later."

"Does he call you often?"

"Every couple of days," she shrugged.

"Why not just give it a chance?" I asked. "What do you have to lose? Maybe he'll surprise you."

"Or maybe I just don't want to go there," she said with annoyance.

"You know, I swore I'd never tell you this, but I think it's time."

"Or maybe you don't, and you just drop it because I asked you to," she countered.

"You're going to hear it whether you want to or not, and then I'll drop it," I argued. "I went on a date with Sam. Just one date. It was actually a good one, but there were still no sparks, and we agreed to stay friends. I think it's always worth a shot to just see what happens."

"That's great for you, Sookie, but still my answer is no, now please, just drop it, okay?"

"I said I would."

"Thank you," she said, but then got up off the couch. "I should get going. I have an early meeting tomorrow."

"Ames..." I sighed, and reached for her hand. "I'm sorry for pushing it. I just don't understand."

"I have my reasons, okay? I don't want to talk about what they are at the moment. Just trust me to know what's best for me," she slung her bag over her shoulder.

"I do trust you," I said, and stood up. "I just want to see you happy. And if you ever want to talk about it, you know you can talk to me."

"I know," she nodded, and for a moment she looked sad instead of angry. "I just need you to back off the Tray thing, okay? I just... I can't go there with him."

"I wish I understood it, Ames," I said. "But I'll back off."

"Thank you," she said, and opened the door. "I'll call you tomorrow or something. Thanks for the funnel cake."

"You're welcome," I said. "Love you."

"Love you too," she said, and then closed the door behind her when she left.

I went over and locked the door, and then I went back to the couch and picked up my phone. I wasn't sure what had happened between Amelia and Tray, but I wished she'd talk to me about it. I hated seeing that sad look on her face.

It had only been a few days since I'd left Eric's, and I missed staying with him, so I called him to say goodnight.

"Hey sweetie," I smiled when he answered the phone.

"Hey. Done with Amelia already?" he asked.

"Yeah, she just left."

"You don't sound too happy about that. You two get in a fight or something?"

"Something like that," I sighed. "She's not telling me something, and I know it's important to her, I just wish she'd confide in me because it's clearly bothering her."

"Can I offer you some advice?"

"Butt out?"

He chuckled and said, "I wasn't going to put it like that. Just... if she's got her reasons for keeping it to herself, try to respect that. When or if she's ready to talk about it, let her come to you instead of getting pushy. Sometimes that just makes it harder to talk about."

"I let it go when I realized how serious it was."

"Then just hope that whatever it is she can work it out for herself, and if she can't then she'll come to you when she's ready."

"I will do my best," I said. "What are you doing?"

"Watching Family Guy reruns," he said. "It's very boring here by myself."

"You're telling me," I said, smiling to myself. It was nice to know he missed my company too. "I wish you were here."

"Yeah, me too," he sighed.

"I have something to tell you," I said. "And I hope you won't be mad at me for telling you on the phone when you're lonely."

"Should I be sitting down for this?" he asked with another chuckle.

"It's possible."

"Okay," he said. "Lay it on me."

"I'm ready to start having sex again," I blurted out.

"That's good news," he sounded surprised. "I was expecting bad news."

"I'm not sure what I could have told you that would have been bad."

"That's also good news," he laughed.

"I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow to get put on birth control."

"Also good news."

"While I'm telling you things, I might as well tell it all," I said. "I also want to stop using condoms eventually."

"Oh? What made you decide that?"

"As you know, I've never not used them, so a small part of me is just a little curious, but there was a lot of thought that went into it. For one, they're annoying. There's nothing worse than you and me getting down to it and you having to stop at a very crucial moment to put one on. But a lot of it is that I trust you, and with me being on birth control... I don't know, I just think we can handle it."

"Well, I agree that they are annoying," he started. "But what if you get pregnant again? It's always a possibility no matter how many forms of birth control we use but... I don't want you to have to go through what we just went through all over again."

"I don't either," I said. "And I'm not suggesting that we go without right away, but maybe after a few months we'll feel differently about it. Of course, it's ultimately up to you. If you want to keep using them, that's fine with me."

"It's something we can talk about once you're settled on birth control," he said. "We don't have to make any decisions on it right now."

"I know. I just wanted you to know how I felt about it."

"Thank you for telling me," he said and there was a pause before he added, "So what are you wearing?"

"Are you getting fresh with me, Northman?"

"Not yet," he said and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"If you keep it up I'll be making a visit to your apartment."

"That sounds like something a dirty girl would do."

"It just so happens I'm one of those."

"You can't be that dirty. You still haven't told me what you're wearing," he challenged.

"It's not that interesting," I said. "Just a pair of shorts and a tank top."

"So the shorts are easily pulled down and the tank top could be ripped off."

"Do you have to be up early?" I asked him.

"Nope. I'm actually working from home in the morning," he said. "I'd be home all day but I have a meeting I have to go to in the afternoon."

"Mind if I come over tonight then?" I asked. I was already up and looking for my shoes.

"Not at all."

"Then I'll be there in ten," I said with a smile. "Be ready for me?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"Good. I love you," I said, and then hung up.

It wasn't until I was out the door before I realized what had come out of my mouth.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	9. Dirty

**I'm in a fairly good mood, so I thought I'd post the next chapter so you're not left hanging too long :)  
**

* * *

Chapter 8 - Dirty

**EPOV**

_Good. I love you._

Those four words kept playing in my head over and over while I sat there on my couch, stunned by what she'd said. It wasn't so much that she'd said it, since I had known for a few days that she was on the edge of feeling that way, but... it still took me by surprise that she had fallen over the cliff. Then I wondered if she'd meant to say it, or if I had just slipped out.

I wasn't panicked in the sense that it was too much or something like that, but it got me thinking about whether or not I could return the sentiment.

Am I in love with Sookie?

Since I had to ask myself I decided the answer was no, I wasn't in love with her. Not that I didn't want to be, or that I couldn't see myself getting there, but I wasn't yet. And I wouldn't tell her I was just to make her feel less awkward. Assuming she felt awkward about it at all. Seconds ticked by at what felt like a much slower rate. Should I say anything to her about what she'd said on the phone, or should I just glaze over it? Not that I didn't think she meant it, but I was pretty sure that wasn't how she had envisioned telling me for the first time. But if I didn't acknowledge it, that seemed like a sure fire way to make her think I wasn't interested, contrary to the things I'd said to her a few days before.

Instead I decided to focus on her request of being ready for her when she arrived. To that end, I flipped off the TV and then decided to surprise her. I went back to my bedroom and peeled off my clothes. I couldn't be much more ready than naked, and then thoughts of having sex with her without a condom between us started to revive the erection that had been starting before she dropped that bomb on me before she hung up. All the same, I grabbed one from the nightstand because we weren't out of the woods with them yet. I set it on the coffee table in the living room. I had a plan in mind.

When I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, I stepped forward to look through the peephole. Blonde hair, great boobs and long tan legs... Sookie. I flipped the deadbolt over and pulled the door open. She stopped in her tracks at the sight of me standing there naked, and very ready for her.

"Come here," I crooked a finger at her, using a lower tone of voice than usual.

She stalled for a moment, but then quickly stepped into the apartment. I closed the door once she was inside, and then turned around to face her.

"Eric, listen, before I-" she started, obviously flustered over what she'd said to me on the phone.

"Shhh..." I put a finger to her lips to stop her from talking. "You don't need to explain or apologize."

She nodded and I removed my finger from her lips. We stared at each other for a moment before I leaned down and kissed her. There was something different in the way she kissed back, and I was willing to bet it was the fact that she was now aware that she loved me. My hands started at her hips and slowly moved up her sides until I reached her breasts. Her hands joined mine on her chest, but when I grabbed onto the neckline of her tank top and pulled, tearing it open, she broke the kiss and gasped in surprise.

The look on her face was priceless, like she hadn't thought I was really going to make good on my supposition. If she wanted me to rough it up a little bit, I could do that, and judging by the way she dove right back into the kiss I knew it was what she wanted. I yanked the material away from her body and tossed it to the floor. My hands settled on her hips again for a moment, and then slowly started to slide around to her lower back, and then down the back of her shorts.

I broke the kiss and said, "No panties, Sookie?"

Color filled her cheeks and her breath caught.

"You are a dirty girl," I smirked at her, and then let my hand move a little further down.

She spread her legs a little to give me better access to her pussy, and just as I nipped at her neck, my fingertips grazed her entrance. She gasped again and her body shook a little. If she was already shaking, this was going to get very interesting. I withdrew my hands from the back of her shorts, and then pulled away from her neck.

"Turn around," I told her, and she did as I asked. "Kneel on the couch and bend forward so you're resting on the arm."

She followed that instruction as well, and I bent to take off her shoes. She kept her head straight and I lightly let my fingers trail from the sole of her foot up her leg until I reached her ass. She sucked in a deep breath, but didn't look back at me. My fingers ghosted up and down her spine before returning to her ass. I moved around so I was standing in front of her and I could feel her breath on my cock. She licked her lips before looking up at me, begging me with her eyes to do something.

"Do you want my cock, Sookie?" I asked her, and even though she blushed a little, she nodded her head. "Use your words."

"Yes, Sir, I want your cock," she said. Calling me 'Sir' was a new thing, but I liked it.

"We'll see if you earn it," I smirked at her. "Put your hands on the arm of the couch and don't move them until I tell you you can."

"Yes, Sir," she said, and shifted her arms so her hands were resting on the arm of the couch.

I stepped around again, and let my hand resume its rubbing and exploring of her ass and upper thighs. She'd told me she liked the idea of being called a dirty girl, being spanked and if that was what she wanted, I would be more than happy to give it to her. I tugged her shorts down over her perfect, round ass and left them at the middle of her thighs, just as I had proposed on the phone.

"Relax, Sookie," I said when I noticed she was shaking a little more noticeably. "If you want to stop, just say so."

"No, keep going," she said, finally turning her head to look back at me.

I leaned down and planted a row of soft kisses along her spine, allowing them to get a little wetter the lower I moved, and just when I should have been planting a kiss on one of her lower cheeks, that was when I struck. Sookie yelped, probably more from the sound of it than anything else since I hadn't hit her very hard. Her eyes found mine, and stayed there as I slapped the other cheek. My hand rubbed over her skin, and then I slapped her again. She rocked forward with the impact of that swat, and again when I got the other side.

Back and forth I went, telling her all the reasons why a dirty girl needed to be punished, and when I paused to check her readiness between her legs, I found her thighs were wet. She was really getting off on this, and that only made me want her more. I slid two fingers inside her and her eyes rolled back into her head a little.

"Does that feel good, dirty girl?" I asked her.

"Yes," she moaned and her head dropped so the side of her face was resting on the arm of the couch.

I fucked her slowly with my fingers for a few seconds before taking them away and resuming her spanking. Sookie moaned and whimpered, and I knew she was reaching a point where she'd had enough. What had started out as pain to enhance her pleasure was about to become just painful, and I didn't want that. I leaned down to kiss each of her reddened cheeks, and then knelt on the couch behind her.

"Do you still want my cock, Sookie?" I asked her, allowing my erection to rub against her heated, slick center.

"God, yes," she moaned.

"Put your hands behind your back," I told her, and she did as I asked.

It was at that moment I really became aware of how annoying condoms were because there was nothing I wanted more than to just bury myself inside her, but I paused to put the condom on because I really didn't want to go through what we'd just been through all over again. Once it was on I pressed one of my palms against both of her hands, while the other wrapped around my cock to guide it inside of her. Sookie moaned as I slowly worked my way into her, and I even rewarded her a little by reaching around to rub her clit.

"Mmm don't stop," she moaned when I stilled a little.

"No, I want you to come for me, dirty girl," I told her, not moving my hips at all, as torturous as it was, and sped up the movement of my fingers on her clit.

Her moans got louder and when she started to come, it was like she was sucking me deeper inside her. Before I knew I was buried to the hilt, and she was panting and moaning while coming down from her high. I gave her a moment before I started to move. I grabbed onto her hands to hold her in place while my hips slapped against her ass, which was now a bright shade of red. I didn't know if that was what she'd had in mind, but I was pretty sure she was going to be feeling this for at least a day or two.

To that effect, I pounded into her a little bit harder.

"Eric!" she cried out, and I let go of her hands to pull her up so her back was against my chest.

"Your pussy feels so fucking good, dirty girl. I want to feel it come for me again," I reached down and started rubbing her clit again, and she screamed.

It was like taking candy from a baby at that point, and it seemed like she was coming every other minute after that. I don't know how I managed to last for as long as I did, but when I came, Sookie was damn near sobbing. I pitched forward, buried deep inside her when I finally gave in and allowed myself to release. My hands reached under her to cup and massage her breasts. I kissed her shoulders and back for a few seconds before reluctantly pulling out of her.

I got up to get rid of the condom, and when I got back to the couch it looked like Sookie was passed out. "Sook?" I asked nervously, hoping she just had her eyes closed. I had never fucked someone into unconsciousness before. Exhaustion, yes, but not unconsciousness.

"Mmm," she kind of moaned, but didn't open her eyes.

"You still in there?" I traced her cheek with my fingertips, and she smiled a little.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" I asked her, just to be on the safe side.

"Not in the slightest."

I knelt down in front of her and said, "Good." I kissed her forehead and smoothed some of her hair back. "Can you move?"

"Not in the slightest," she repeated with a smile, and opened her eyes.

"I'll help you up," I said, and moved around to the side of couch to pull her up onto her knees, and then I scooped her up and carried her back to my bedroom. I set her down on my bed and then sat on the edge next to her.

"Lay down with me."

I climbed over her and then stretched out while Sookie rolled onto her side so we were face to face.

"Hi," I smiled at her, since we hadn't bothered exchanging greetings when she walked in, not that she seemed to mind.

"Hey," she smiled back.

I chuckled and said, "Brain not functioning yet, huh?"

"It's getting there," she laughed. "You done good, Northman."

"Thank you." I reached for her hand. "I'm guessing that wasn't quite what you had in mind when you suggested coming over, though."

"It wasn't, but I enjoyed it all the same."

"Good." I kept smiling at her.

Her smile faded for a moment, and she said, "About what I told you... I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"It's okay, Sookie. Like I said before, you don't have to explain or apologize. All I need to know is if you meant it," I told her.

"I meant it," she nodded, and reached out to put her hand on my chest. "I know it's soon, but I know what I feel."

"It's okay," I said again, and lifted her hand to kiss the back of it. "I'm not there yet, but when I am you'll be the first to know."

"Good," she smiled again.

We were quiet for a little while, just staring at each other. I broke the silence when I asked, "Are you sleeping over?"

"I'd love to if you don't mind."

"Not at all. Besides, I kind of ruined your shirt," I smirked. I wasn't the least bit sorry for it either.

"You did, didn't you? It's okay though. I liked it."

"Then I'll have to do that again some time," I rolled onto my back, but kept my head turned toward her.

"You liked all of that too, right?"

"I did. Mostly I liked the reaction I got out of you," I admitted. "I never would have thought a girl like you would be into that sort of stuff."

"I'm not really into all of it, just the light stuff like that. But that's also the first time I've ever tried it."

I smirked and said, "So then I shouldn't try to tie you to my bed next time."

Her eyes widened a little, and she smiled again. "Maybe not next time, but that's not a bad idea."

"Oh really?" I asked, the possibilities already forming in my mind.

"I trust you, so why not? It sounds like fun to me."

"Hmmm... you should know I'm plotting again," I warned her.

"Glad to hear it."

I chuckled and said, "You say that now, but you don't know what's going on in my head. You might not be so excited when I'm finished with you."

"Why would I not be excited?"

"Because," I said, and quickly rolled on top of her. I moved her arms above her head and wrapped her fingers around the slats in my headboard. "Imagine your hands stuck here," I smiled at her and then moved down a little bit. "And these beautiful legs spread open for me, and my head here," I touched her between her thighs and she gasped. "And you can't get away from me, but maybe you can't get off either."

"You would be cruel then?"

"No, not cruel," I said, and started to move my fingers a little, which made her gasp again. "Just teasing."

"I still don't think I wouldn't be excited, because with you I've never gotten off just once."

"Well then I guess we'll have to try it sometime and find out," I said, and leaned down to kiss her neck before I rolled off of her.

"Eric!" she said. "You just started something..."

"Ah, so now you see my point," I smirked at her.

"Point taken," she laughed. "Now get back on top of me."

"I have a better idea," I said, and pulled her on top of me instead.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	10. Drama Queen

**Happy to see so many are interested in what's going on with Amelia and Tray! Also, this chapter is NSFW!  
**

* * *

Chapter 9 - Drama Queen

**SPOV**

"Are you sure you know the restaurant we're meeting them at?" I asked Eric as we walked hand in hand down the sidewalk. We were meeting Amelia and her new guy for dinner.

"Yeah, I've been there a couple of times," he said.

"Good. I'm kind of nervous about this. She sprung back pretty fast after Bobby, and before we got into that semi-fight about Tray she said she wanted to be on her own."

"Maybe it's a just a rebound," he shrugged. "There's nothing wrong with having a fling between serious relationships."

"I guess," I said.

"I don't think there's anything to worry about. It's just dinner."

"I always get nervous when meeting new boyfriends though. If I hate him, and she loves him, it will only cause us to fight."

"Yet another reason why I'm glad I'm not a woman," he snickered.

"You couldn't handle being a woman," I said, and nudged his side lightly with my elbow.

"Oh I'm aware," he agreed.

"As long as you know."

"And if the guy is a dick then you can fake a headache and we'll leave early," he suggested.

"Amelia will know."

"But it's still politer than telling her date you think he's a jag off," Eric shrugged again.

"Well maybe he'll be nice and we won't have to worry about it."

"I'm sure there isn't anything to worry about," he lifted my hand and kissed the back of it.

"I think I'm just still a little bothered that I don't know what's going on with her and Tray."

"Sook..."

"I know, and I'm not going to ask her. But that's what I have you for, right? So I can tell you the things I can't tell her?" I asked. "Please don't judge me."

"Who said anything about judging you?"

"I feel like you think I'm a busybody."

"Only if you keep harping on her when she's told you to leave it alone," he said.

"I'm not going to."

"Okay."

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "I'm taking my stress out on you, and that's not fair."

"It's okay," he said, and then opened the door to the restaurant for me.

I walked in ahead of him, and we went to the hostess stand. She informed us that the other two in our party hadn't arrived yet, but took us to our table.

"This is a nice place," I commented as we sat down.

"It is," he agreed, and sat down next to me. "And the best part? You can have drinks if things start getting awkward."

"That is a good part," I smiled. "So... you've been here before huh?"

"I have. I highly recommend their green bean fries," he said as he started looking over his menu.

"That sounds good," I said. "Are you going to tell me if this was a date place for you or not?"

"I think I came here once with someone, but I wouldn't say it's a date place."

"You don't have a place like that, do you?" I asked. "I'm just trying figure out what your game is."

"I do, but I won't take you there. You wouldn't like it," he said.

"Where is it?"

"It's a Thai restaurant about four blocks from here. I forget the name of it though."

"So what's the rest of it?" I asked with a playful grin. "Did you have a line?"

"It's really cutting edge, but I think it's starting to catch on," he leaned over. "I usually start by saying hello."

"Well it definitely worked on me," I laughed.

"You definitely fell for it hook, line and sinker," he smirked.

"So what else? If 'hello' was your line, I can't wait to hear what your move is."

"You know what it is," he looked at me curiously.

"I do?"

"You fell for it," he grinned.

"Did I?"

"Yup."

"Refresh my memory," I smirked.

"Maybe later," he said. "Amelia and her date are here."

I looked behind me and saw Amelia walking up to the table, and she was holding the hand of a giant. He had to be taller than Eric, and was built. Like a muscular, rough looking version of the tall, dark, and handsome guy.

Eric and I both stood up to greet them, and I pulled Amelia into my arms for a hug so I could whisper in her ear.

"Wow," I told her.

"Sook, you don't even know," she whispered back, and then let go of me to give Eric a hug.

"Nice to see you again, Amelia," he said before letting her go.

"You too," she smiled. "Sookie, Eric, this is Rasul. Rasul, this is my best friend Sookie and her boyfriend Eric."

"Hello," Rasul said as he shook each of our hands. "It's nice to meet you both."

"It's nice to meet you too, Rasul," I smiled up at him. He had a good grip too.

"I hope we didn't keep you waiting for too long," Amelia said as Rasul pulled out her chair for her so she could sit down.

Points for Rasul.

"We've only been here a few minutes," I said. "Eric's been here a couple times so he was giving me food recommendations."

"Oh good! I've heard good things about this place but since it's not really my neck of the woods I've never been here," Amelia said, and started looking over her menu.

"I haven't been here either," Rasul said as he looked at his menu. "But they have meat, so I'm happy."

"The bacon wrapped filet is good," Eric told him.

"I do love a good filet, but it's never enough food for me," he said. "I'm more of a porterhouse guy."

"I think I saw that on the menu," I said.

"I would end up taking three quarters of that home," Amelia shook her head. Then again she was probably like half Rasul's size.

"But you're tiny, doll," he smiled at her.

"Oh, I can eat when I want to," she grinned, and that was also true.

"I'm sure you can," he said. "I like that."

"If you're anything like Sookie around cookie dough ice cream, I totally believe it," Eric said, and winked at me.

"Hey!" I laughed.

"There's nothing wrong with it," Eric said.

"My weakness is fried rice," Amelia admitted. "It's so horrible for you, but I can't stay away from it."

"I actually have a weakness for chocolate," Rasul said. "Especially in cake form."

"Ooooh, Ames, I should make him a Texas sheet cake!" I said.

"Are you trying to steal him?" Amelia smirked at me.

"I am perfectly happy with my man, thank you," I smiled, and reached for Eric's hand under the table.

"But I still want that cake," Rasul smiled.

"What's a Texas sheet cake?" Eric asked.

"It's a super, super moist chocolate cake," I explained. "And now I'm craving it so I'll make one soon."

"Okay you're definitely sleeping over tonight now," Eric said. "I have to try this cake if it's that good."

"If you aren't in love with her now, you will be after you try this cake," Amelia warned.

The waitress came over and we all ordered drinks and a couple of appetizers to share.

"I've never had a peach margarita before," Amelia said after the waitress left. "I guess we'll see if it's any good."

"I'm not overly fond of peach anything," I said, and made a yucky face.

"So you don't like peach cobbler?" Eric asked.

"Nope," I said. "But I can make a really good one."

"Boy I'm glad I'm with Amelia," Rasul laughed. "If I was with you I'd be begging you to bake for me all the time."

"I can bake!" Amelia said, but I just burst out laughing. "Well I can!"

"Then you'll have to bake something for me sometime," Rasul said.

"Oh good luck with that," I laughed.

"Don't listen to her," Amelia glared at me.

"Okay, one time you did make really good cookies, but I still think they were the break-away frozen ones."

"Well I never claimed to be a professional," she pointed out.

"And don't knock those cookies, Sook. They're pretty good," Eric said.

"Thank you!" Amelia smiled at Eric.

"Yes, but they don't have shit on my homemade pudding cookies," I smiled.

"I don't know, I'm pretty fond of the frozen ones," Rasul said, and smiled at Amelia.

"Thank you, Rasul. Don't pay attention to Sookie. She just gets really defensive about baking for some reason," Amelia shook her head.

Before I could say anything else Eric jumped in to change the subject and asked, "So, Rasul, are you into sports?"

"Yeah, I am. I like just about everything there is, but I'm especially fond of football, basketball, and baseball."

"You look like you should be playing rugby," Amelia giggled just as our drinks came to the table.

"I used to," he winked at her.

"You'll have to educate me on that later," she smiled into her drink.

"I'd be glad to," he said.

"Oh dear," I snickered. "Eric, were you and I like that at first?"

"I think we're still like that," he smiled at me.

"I hope so, 'cause it's cute."

"You should have seen her after your first date," Amelia said with a devilish smile on her face.

"Ames..." I said in warning.

"Was it that bad?" Eric squeezed my hand. "You told her you wanted to marry me, didn't you?"

"No she sa-"

"Ames!"

She burst out laughing, but then concentrated on her drink.

"You can tell me later," Eric leaned over and kissed my cheek.

"Oh no I can't," I smiled at him.

"I'll trade you information," he suggested. "You tell me the post date wrap up and I'll tell you the move."

"Oooh, you butthead," I said.

"I think that's a fair trade, but if you don't want to do it..."

"Fine, deal," I smiled.

"Do you know what you're getting, Sook? I can't make up my mind," Amelia said.

"I think I'm getting the veggie burger," I said.

"Oh, well, you're no help," she sighed, but then smiled.

"The orange chicken is really good if you like Asian food," Eric offered. "I've gotten that a couple of times."

"I didn't even see that!" Amelia flipped around on her menu until she found it. "Oh, we have a winner!"

The appetizers arrived and the waitress took our dinner order while she was there.

"These appetizers are huge," I said. "I'm glad I came hungry."

"And with a pair of giants," Amelia added as she reached for one of the southwestern egg rolls.

"That does help," I laughed.

Rasul picked up one of the egg rolls and devoured it in two bites. "That's delicious," he said after he swallowed. Points for not talking with his mouth full.

"It's too bad there are black beans or I'd be all over those," Eric said, and dipped one of the fried green beans in the sauce they came with.

"I love black beans," Amelia said as she dipped a tortilla chip into the spinach/artichoke dip that had been unfortunately placed closest to her.

"These green beans are so good," I groaned after eating one.

"I need to figure out how to make them at home," Eric said.

"You cook?" Amelia looked surprised.

"I'm not a professional, but yeah," he said. "Can't eat out every night. Besides, someone has to feed Sookie," he teased.

"Especially since I can't cook," I laughed. "Eric is definitely the cook in this relationship. I'm the baker."

"Do you cook?" Amelia looked to Rasul, who was giving the green beans a try.

Rasul smiled, and said, "Yeah, a little. Mostly things that involve meat and cheese."

"I'll have to make you stuffed chicken breasts sometime," Amelia smiled at him.

"That sounds delicious," he said.

"Make me some too," I chimed in.

"I will. I'll freeze them for you," she offered.

"I can make that for you, too," Eric said. "I wrap mine in bacon, though."

"Bacon and chicken? If I didn't already love you, I'd fall for you with that meal."

"And garlic roasted potatoes," he smiled at me.

"Marry me," I joked.

"God, you're easy," Amelia shook her head.

"Eric likes that about me," I smirked.

"So I've heard," Amelia laughed.

"So how did you guys meet?" Eric asked, looking from Amelia to Rasul.

"The gym," Rasul said with a smile. "She needed a spotter, and I was free."

"And he did his job a little too well," Amelia smiled.

"I couldn't help it," he said. "I first saw her there a couple weeks before and tripped over myself while I was going to get more weights off the tree."

"It was very graceful," Amelia giggled. "But it got my attention."

"Does that mean you happened to need a spotter on purpose?" he asked her.

"Maybe," she said coyly.

"That's so cute," I smiled at them. They looked slightly odd together physically, but they seemed to be very in like with each other.

"He offered. How could I turn it down?" Amelia definitely had moon eyes.

"I'm glad you didn't," he told her.

"Me too," she smiled, and then looked to me. "I can't believe you two are still together, to be honest. I figured there was no way a guy who picked you up on St. Patrick's Day was going to last the hangover."

"Any girl who can drink Irish Car Bombs that well is one worth keeping around," Eric said with a chuckle.

"Thank you, baby," I said, and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "And thanks for the vote of confidence, Meals."

"That wasn't an insult," she said.

"You sure about that?"

"Yes, I am," she said, and it was obvious she was ticked off at me.

"I think I need to go to the bathroom," I said. "Care to join me, Amelia?"

"Sure," Amelia said, and when she moved to stand up, Rasul pulled her chair out for her.

We went into the bathroom, and as soon as the door swung shut behind us, she laid into me.

"What the hell is your problem with me lately? First it's Tray and how I should give him a chance because you think it's a good idea. Now I try to tell you something nice and you think I'm insulting you? I'm happy for you, Sookie! I think Eric is great, and I'm happy that things worked out for you. So why the fuck do you keep giving me the stink eye every chance you get?" she demanded.

"What the hell? When you say that you can't believe Eric and I are still together, I kind of find that insulting. And as for the Tray stuff, I dropped it when you asked me to, so don't throw that in my face."

"Given the fact that you met Eric when both of you were completely wasted, I really didn't think it was going to go beyond that day, but I was wrong. Again, I'm happy for you, so what's your problem?"

"I don't have one! And I like Rasul so far. I'm trying to figure out why you're so quick to pick a fight with me."

"I'm not! You brought me in here!"

"To ask why you suddenly looked like you wanted to behead me!"

"Oh my God, you're such a drama queen!" she rolled her eyes.

"No offense, but you're the one acting like a drama queen."

"You want a drama queen?" she asked, and then stormed out of the bathroom.

"Amelia!" I called after her, then sighed. It was best to just go deal with it as quietly as I could, so I followed her out to the table.

"I'm sorry, Eric, I'm not feeling well," Amelia was apologizing as I got back to the table.

"Amelia, please stay," I asked gently.

"No, I'm being a drama queen. I wouldn't want to ruin your dinner," she snapped at me. "I'll be outside, Rasul."

Eric stayed quiet as Amelia stomped off toward the exit.

"Rasul, I'm sorry. I hope this didn't color your impression of me," I apologized to him as he stood up.

"It's alright," he said, and pulled his wallet out of his pocket before laying a few bills down on the table. "That should cover our meals. It was nice to meet you both."

"Hopefully we'll see you again," Eric gave a small wave.

Rasul left, and I sat down next to Eric in a deflated way. I hated fighting with Amelia.

"I'm sorry," I told him.

"What happened?" he asked me.

"I'm not entirely sure. She wanted to know what my problem was and called me a drama queen."

"Does she usually just storm off like that?"

"I've never seen her do it before."

"I don't know what to tell you," he said sympathetically. "Maybe it's not even about you."

"I hope not," I frowned. "It felt like she was still mad at me for the Tray argument."

"Call her tomorrow. Maybe she'll be more reasonable then."

"I will. What are we going to do with their food? Is there a shelter around here we can take it to?"

"I don't know," he said. "We could always just take it home. Maybe you can bring it to Amelia tomorrow if you two can work something out."

"Maybe."

Just then our food arrived and Eric asked for boxes for Rasul and Amelia's meals since it was obvious they weren't coming back.

"We can still enjoy the night, right?" I asked him.

"Of course we can," he said, and picked up his fork.

"Thank you," I smiled at him.

"For what?"

"For being you," I said.

"Comes naturally," he chuckled.

"It's why I love you."

He leaned over and kissed my cheek, which was about as close as I was going to get to him telling me he loved me back until he finally said it.

"I just want you to know that I don't want you to feel any pressure at all to say it back," I told him. "And if you want me to not say things like what I just did, I'll do my best not to."

"Sookie, I don't feel pressured, and you shouldn't censor yourself," he told me, and wiped his mouth on his napkin. "You should say what you feel, whether it's love, anger or whatever it is."

"Okay," I said. "I'm glad you feel that way. I just didn't want you to feel smothered or anything."

"Not at all. I know you know I'll tell you when I'm ready," he said, and then held up his fork to me with some kind of pasta on it. "Want to try this?"

I smiled, and opened my mouth so he would feed me the bite.

"It's a little spicy," he warned, and then put his fork in my mouth.

"Oh my God," I groaned, and covered my mouth as I spoke. "That's delicious."

"Uh huh," he nodded, and twirled more of his pasta around the fork.

"I'm getting that next time," I said, and picked up my veggie burger.

"So you want to know what the move was?" Eric asked when I took a bite of my burger.

"Yes I do," I smiled.

"It was daring you to drink that first Irish Car Bomb," he chuckled.

"That was your move?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yep. You got all feisty with me because I said you couldn't do it and you just had to prove me wrong," he said with a smug smile on his face.

"And I did," I smiled.

"Yes you did. If memory serves, I think you drank like four of them before you called it quits," he laughed. "I was really hoping you'd show me your Irish jugs."

"I did not long after that," I said.

"It was a good second date," he grinned.

"Yes it was."

"So what do you want to do after dinner?"

"Am I lame if I just want to go to your place and chill out?"

"Not at all."

"Good. I'll tell you what I said about you when we get back."

"Deal," he said, and took another bite of his pasta.

**oOoOoOo**

The horny bug bit us halfway back to Eric's place, and we stumbled into his apartment, kissing. We stopped long enough to put the bag of leftovers in the fridge, and then made our way back to his bedroom.

"Why do we bother wearing clothes?" I asked with a giggle when he ripped my underwear off from beneath my skirt.

"Because I can't imagine you walking naked down the street," he reminded me.

"Yes you can, you just can't imagine having to beat up all the other men you catch looking at me."

"Good point," he said, and then tossed me on his bed.

"So do you want to know now, or after?" I asked him.

"Tell me now," he said, and pulled off his t-shirt.

"She asked me if I thought you were a keeper," I said.

"That was the big deal you didn't want shared around the table?" Eric quirked an eyebrow.

"My answer was the thing I didn't want shared around the table," I smirked.

"So what did you say?"

"That if you kissed me below as well as you kissed me above, I'd hold onto you for dear life."

"I guess," he climbed up onto the bed and hovered over me. "That means I'm a keeper."

"It means I'd keep you for your oral skills alone, and that I'm lucky you also happen to be good at other things."

"Like what?" he asked, and ground his hips against mine.

"Simply put," I grinned as I ground my hips back against his. "You're exceptionally good at fucking me."

He growled at me and then caught my lips with his own.

"Was that Eric speak for 'I'm going to fuck you now'?"

His answer was a perfectly placed kiss on that spot on my neck that would have made my knees go weak if I was standing up.

I moaned and said, "Northman, if you don't fuck me now, I'm going to fuck you."

He nibbled on my ear for a moment before whispering, "Then you get the condom, and I'll get rid of my jeans."

"Deal," I grinned, and as soon as he rolled off of me, I was off the bed and digging around in the nightstand for condoms. "Uh oh."

"What?"

"You got condoms anywhere else, because there's no more in here."

"Under the bathroom sink," he said as he dropped his jeans.

I went into the bathroom and looked under the sink where I found three more boxes of condoms. "Jesus, Eric!" I called out to him. "How many of these do you buy at a time?"

"We fuck a lot!" he answered. "And it's a good thing I did, or you would be really pissed off right now."

"If only it was a month from now," I said as I came back into the bedroom. "The doc said that's when my birth control will be considered safe enough for us to go without condoms."

"Well, that supply should get us through two weeks," he snickered.

"We do not attack each other that much," I laughed.

"Oh no? We went through that last box in less than a week," he told me.

"Seriously?"

"Today is Friday. I opened that box on Sunday."

"Aren't they twelve packs?"

"Yep."

"Jesus."

"See? Now three boxes doesn't seem like so many, does it?"

"I feel like a nympho," I laughed.

"Yeah," he grinned. "Now get over here and service me."

"Is that how this works?"

"Unless you wanted me to tie you to the bed this time," he smirked.

"I'm saving that for a special occasion," I smiled, and climbed up on the bed. He laid back on the pillows as I straddled him.

"What occasion is that?"

"You'll see when it happens."

"I do like surprises," he said.

"Now you hush so I can service you," I said, and leaned down to kiss him.

"Yes ma'am," he said with a smile just before my lips touched his.

Kissing him felt different to me since I told him I loved him. It felt good to have it out there, and I was so relieved when he didn't flip out at the information. Even better was that he didn't feel pressured to say it back, and I was glad that he didn't, really. I wanted him to say it on his own, in his own time.

We made out for a few minutes before I finally decided to get the show on the road. But that was another thing I loved about being with Eric. We could sometimes get so lost in the kissing that we'd spend an hour making out before doing anything else. Since he'd removed his pants and was fully naked, I parked myself between his legs and took him into my mouth.

He groaned and I tried not to smile when his hands went into my hair. Smiling with a cock in your mouth doesn't really work out. I took as much of him into my mouth as I could, and stroked the rest with my hand as my head bobbed. My other hand got busy entertaining his balls, which earned me another groan, and after just a minute or so he was pulling me off of him.

"My turn," he growled, and tried to get me under him, but I pushed him back onto the bed.

"Oh no," I grinned as I straddled him again and reached for the condom I'd gotten out earlier. "I'm servicing you, remember?"

"Then by all means," he smiled, and his hands came up to knead my hips while I got the condom out and rolled onto him. "Take off your dress."

I pulled my dress off, and Eric's hands quickly got rid of my bra.

"Better?" I asked him, and he nodded.

I smiled down at him, then got up on my knees and rubbed the head of his cock through my folds teasingly until I saw him bite his lip. At that, I positioned him and sank down slowly, enjoying the way his eyes rolled back as I did.

I rocked my hips against him a few times, and then leaned down to kiss him. His hands were on my breasts, and he took advantage of the opportunity to kiss that spot on my neck that drove me nuts.

"I love it when you do that," I moaned, and sat back up.

"And I love it when you do that," he said when I started to rise and fall slowly.

His hands were all over me as I moved on top of him; my boobs, my ass, my clit, pulling me down so he could kiss me, then to my hips so he could hold me steady as he thrust up from underneath which I loved.

"Fuck," I groaned when he pulled me down to kiss me, and kept thrusting fast and hard. He was going to make me come, but I wanted to hold off a little longer this time so I sat back up and slowed the pace again.

"You were close, baby," he panted.

"I know," I smiled. "I want to come with you though."

"I'm close too," he informed me.

"Is that so?" I asked, and rolled my hips a couple of times before quickening my pace. I started to pinch and roll my nipples as I fucked him, knowing the sight turned him on, and when he started to stiffen beneath me I reached down and rubbed fast circles over my clit.

"Are you going to come with me?" I asked him. My hand and my hips moved even faster.

"Yes," he grunted, his hands on my hips again.

"I'm going to come so hard for you," I moaned, knowing the slightly dirty talk would push him over the edge, and it did just a moment later when he shouted my name and his hips pushed up off the bed. I kept moving on top of him and cried out when my orgasm took over just a few seconds after his.

"Fuck," he said, then let out a laugh. "That was some good service."

I laughed and rolled off of him. "Thank you very much. You can pay me in orgasms a little later."

"You mean that one wasn't enough?" he asked, and got up to go take care of the condom.

"For now," I giggled. "I'm going to need you to prove to me that I was right about your oral skills."

"Is that so?"

He crawled back into the bed, and laid down next to me.

"Yes sir," I smiled.

"Well, in that case..."

He grinned and started kissing his way down my body. I smiled. It was going to be a good, long night.

there meg. I wrote a lemon. are you happy? it's not as good as yours, but dammit I did it. and you can't make fun of it. also change anything you want I don't care. I'm sure you'll be up in an hour or two to see this. morning!

* * *

**MMHS told me to include this in the a/n because it was "hilarious." It's a note I left for her because I wrote the lemon this time. In case you couldn't already tell, MMHS writes the lemons more often than not. Sometimes we'll co-write through the whole thing, but yeah... This time, she went to bed and said she'd write it in the morning unless I wanted to (har-de-har) and then I was like, I'll show her! And I wrote it. Anyway, here's the note I left her in the doc:  
**

_there meg. I wrote a lemon. are you happy? it's not as good as yours, but dammit I did it. and you can't make fun of it. also change anything you want I don't care. I'm sure you'll be up in an hour or two to see this. morning!_


	11. First Impressions

**I keep forgetting to comment on this, but Eric and Sookie are both in their late twenties. Eric is a financial planner, and since I'm not totally sure if we ever write it out, Sookie is a successful freelance writer, which is why she can work whenever she wants and isn't constrained by typical working hours.  
**

* * *

Chapter 10 - First Impressions

**EPOV**

For the fifth time in the last two hours my phone rang, and Sookie's face was flashing on the display. Her nerves were adorable, even if it wasn't at all necessary for her to be nervous. My mother was going to love her. In fact, Mom already thought it was cute that she kept calling.

"Is that her again?" Mom asked, and I nodded.

"She just doesn't want you to hate her," I explained.

"Oh nonsense," she waved it off.

"I tried telling her that," I chuckled and answered the phone. "Hello."

"Hi," she said.

"What's up?" I asked her.

"Does your mom like chocolate?" she asked.

"Yes, she does," I smiled.

"Does she have any allergies? I want to bring her a piece of this cake, but I don't want it to kill her."

"No allergies," I said and smiled at Mom, who was shaking her head with amusement.

"Okay good," she said. "I hope she likes the cake. What if she doesn't like it? Nevermind, it's chocolate, she'll like it.'

"Obviously, Sookie, if she doesn't like the cake I'll have no choice but to break up with you and pretend like we never dated," I teased her.

"That's not funny."

"Lighten up, sweetheart. She's going to love you," I insisted.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I'm just nervous."

"I know, but you're thinking too much. Just take a few deep breaths, okay?"

"Okay," she said, and I heard her take one. "I'll see you soon, sweetie."

"We'll be here," I promised, and hung up after she did.

"Jesus, Eric, what did you tell her to make her so nervous?" Mom laughed when I set the phone down.

"Nothing but good things, I swear!" I said in my own defense. "I think it's just really important to her because she knows that you're important to me. Her parents died when she was young, so I won't have to go through this on her side. But I think it makes it that much more nerve wracking for her."

"That's understandable," Mom nodded. "So what did she call about this time?"

"She wanted to know if you like chocolate since she baked a cake," I told her.

"She bakes?" she asked and I nodded. "Does she cook?"

"Mmm... not well, but she makes up for it in other ways," I grinned.

Mom rolled her eyes and said, "You have no idea how much you look like your father right now."

We continued to joke around and get caught up a little bit while we waited for Sookie to arrive. Mom had gotten into town the night before. Originally she had planned to bring Pam along since I hadn't seen her since Christmas, but Pam decided at the last minute that she would rather go down to her friend's beach house than come to Chicago. Apparently it wasn't glamorous enough for her, or something like that. I'd just have to wait a few more months to see her face to face.

There was a knock at the door and I let Mom get it since I figured that might be the easiest way to break the ice. I stood in the background while Mom flung the door open and greeted Sookie with her usual warm smile, or at least I assume she did.

"You must be Sookie!" Mom said.

"Oh my goodness, there you are," Sookie smiled back, and dropped the bag she was holding to wrap my mom in a hug.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Mom hugged her back.

"Ditto," she said. "You look just like Eric."

"I did forget to shave today," Mom joked, and release Sookie from the hug.

"I see where he gets his sense of humor from too," Sookie laughed, and picked up the bag she'd dropped.

"What's in the bag?" Mom asked, stepping out of the way to let Sookie inside, and then closing the door.

"I brought you a piece of chocolate cake," Sookie told her. "I also brought some for Eric since he loves it so much."

"That was very sweet of you," Mom smiled, and then turned toward me. "Why don't I take that into the kitchen and give you two a moment?"

"Thanks Mom," I said, and after giving Sookie a pat on the back, Mom went to the kitchen with the bag.

"Oh my goodness, Eric, she's so beautiful," Sookie whispered to me. "You didn't tell me she was that beautiful in person."

"It didn't occur to me, I guess. To me she's just Mom," I shrugged, and pulled Sookie into a hug. "Feel better now?"

"Yeah," she said, and hugged me back. "That wasn't as scary as I thought it would be."

"I told you there was nothing to worry about. Pam is the one that'll give you the third degree," I warned, and kissed the top of her head.

"Now I'm going to be worse meeting her," she laughed. "But your mom is so nice."

"Don't worry, I can corral Pam," I promised her. "And you're lucky Mom didn't decide to mess with you and tell you she hates chocolate."

"Would she do that?"

"Not today, apparently," I laughed, and Sookie looked horrified.

"Quit trying to scare me," she said, and lightly slapped my arm.

"The good thing is that she'd have a good sense of humor about it if you got her back," I told her and then bent to give her a proper kiss.

Sookie giggled when the kiss ended and said, "Well hello there, Mr. Northman."

I quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Did you drink half a bottle of wine before coming over?"

"No! I had one glass, and I'm not even feeling it. I just didn't realize how nervous I was until you kissed me."

"Don't stress yourself too much over it," I rubbed her shoulders. "And we better get in there before Mom starts offering us condoms."

"Would she really do that?"

"Wanna find out the hard way? No pun intended, of course," I snickered, and then aimed her toward the kitchen.

"Let's not go through that particular embarrassment," she said, and we walked into the kitchen together.

"This cake looks delicious," Mom said as we entered the room.

"It's a Texas sheet cake," Sookie told her. "There's sour cream in the cake batter which makes it really moist. I can't stand dry cake."

"Oh no. Dry cake is awful," Mom agreed.

"Then I think you'll enjoy this one. The first time I made it, Eric ate half the sheet in just a couple of hours."

"Eric!" Mom shook her head at me.

"Don't worry, Mom, I ate all my vegetables at supper first," I smirked, and went to the fridge to get Sookie a drink even though she hadn't asked for one. "And speaking of supper, that stuffed bacon wrapped chicken I told you about is in the oven as we speak."

"Oh bless you," Sookie smiled. "I've been so nervous I haven't eaten anything substantial all day."

"Seriously, Eric, what did you tell this poor girl to make her so nervous?" Mom shook her head at me.

"He told me all good things, I promise," Sookie said. "The nervousness is all me. I've never met someone's parents before, and I just don't know how to handle that since I don't have mine anymore."

"I'm sorry to hear that, by the way," Mom said sympathetically. "Do you mind my asking how old you were when they passed?"

"Sixteen," she said. "And thank you. It was hard, but I know they loved me and my brother."

"That's good," Mom smiled. "So where are you from? Eric never mentioned that."

"Louisiana," she smiled. "I'm a southern belle. Well, at least I was raised one. I came up here for college and never left."

"Do you miss Louisiana?"

"I miss some things about it. I grew up in a very small town, and off in the country. Sometimes I miss the quiet. I was also only about an hour from New Orleans. But I love the city, and being here got me to meet Eric," she smiled at me.

"Maybe we should take a trip down there sometime," I suggested. "I've never been to New Orleans before, and it would be nice if you got to visit your friends and family back home."

"I'd like that."

"The last time I was in New Orleans Eric didn't like the beignets very much," Mom snickered.

Sookie's jaw dropped and she looked at me like I had two heads. "You didn't like beignets?"

"I was pregnant," Mom explained. "And no, he didn't. But then again I'm sure I'm not the first person to puke in the middle of that cafe."

"I'm sure you weren't," I laughed.

Sookie laughed. "We'll have to see how that turns out with out of the womb Eric."

"Bring a sick bag just in case," Mom winked at her and I rolled my eyes.

"I think it'll be fine, Mom."

"In my experience sick bags come in more handy for some of the cajun places down there," Sookie said.

"Are they that bad?" Mom asked, and pulled out a chair at the kitchen table to take a seat.

"Some of them. You have to find the good ones."

"Then it's a good thing I'd be going with a guide," I said, and pushed myself up to sit on the counter, which got me a dirty look from Mom.

"Were you born in a barn? Get down off the counter," she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Mom, I'm almost thirty. I sit on the counter all the time and the world hasn't stopped turning yet."

Sookie just shook her head and went to join Mom at the table.

"Oh don't pretend like you don't sit on the counter too," I stared at Sookie. Traitor.

"Not when I have company."

"Then I guess your manners are better than mine," I shrugged.

Thankfully the oven timer went off, signifying that the chicken was done cooking, and I went to take it out of the oven to let it rest.

"That smells like heaven," Sookie said when the scent wafted over to her. "My stomach is growling. I'm so happy one of us can cook."

"There are garlic roasted potatoes crisping up in there still, and I've got fresh green beans steaming on the stove," I told her.

"Why is it that women don't do the proposing again?" Sookie joked.

"Because of some stupid male mindset that a woman who does the proposing must be desperate," Mom volunteered.

"That is sadly very true," Sookie sighed.

"I wouldn't think it was desperate, assuming it was a long-term relationship," I offered.

"So you're saying if I propose in five minutes, I'm desperate, but if I wait a year or so, it's all good?" Sookie asked.

"Okay, maybe committed is a better term," I corrected. "If you did, I wouldn't think you were desperate, to answer your question."

"Good answer," she laughed.

"Have you been married before, Sookie?" Mom asked.

"No, ma'am," she said.

"What about kids?" she asked, and Sookie startled a bit at that question.

"No," she said. "No kids yet."

"Do you want them?"

"Mom," I said and shook my head, unsure of whether or not Sookie would want to get into this.

"It's okay," Sookie said, but she still looked sad. "Yes, I want kids someday. I always have."

"Hey Mom, would you mind setting the table?" I asked, hoping to distract her from going down that road.

"Not at all," she said, and got up to get plates down from their spot in the cabinet.

Sookie mouthed 'Thank you' at me, and then stood up too. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"You can get fresh drinks for everyone if you want," I suggested.

"Sure."

Sookie got the drinks. Mom set the table. Chatter continued while I got the rest of dinner together, and in no time everything was ready. I brought the platters over to the table one by one, and I swear I saw Sookie drool a little when I put the chicken down.

"Since when did I start dating Martha Stewart?" she asked.

"Eric's always been a good cook," Mom volunteered. "And it helps that his step-father is a professional chef."

"Is that so? You never told me that."

"Must have slipped my mind," I shrugged, and served myself some of the potatoes.

"You were trying to make me think it was all you, huh?" she chuckled.

"It is all me," I argued. "He taught me some technical stuff, but it's not like he's hidden in the kitchen somewhere right now, acting as an invisible sous chef."

"I'm sorry," Sookie said. "I guess cooking and baking are a lot like each other in that they can be a lot about intuition."

"Are you a cook, Sookie?" Mom asked even though I'd already been over that with her earlier.

"Not a good one," she admitted. "I can bake like nobody's business, but I'm not that great at the cooking."

"Me either," Mom admitted. "That's why I married a chef."

"Smart thinking."

"That and he does a great Rodney Dangerfield impression," I volunteered.

"It's very popular in the kitchen," Mom added.

"I'll bet it is," Sookie laughed.

"The gem is the sous chef that sounds like Eddie Murphy," Mom rolled her eyes. "And that's just the way he talks normally."

"Can I work there?" Sookie asked. "That sounds like the best kitchen ever."

"Oh do you work in the restaurant business? Eric never told me what it is you do," Mom said as she took one of the chicken breasts from the platter.

"I'm a writer, actually. Journalist to be exact, but I like to write short stories sometimes."

"Oh! Are you in newspaper, magazines, blogging..."

"I want to break into the blogging thing, but for now I mostly do freelance work for magazines and a couple online newspapers."

"Do you write a regular column?"

"Not yet. I write a lot about social issues, and if I break into blogging I'd like to do something Chicago-related."

"That sounds like a great idea," Mom smiled at her.

"I'll have to let you know if it works out," Sookie smiled back.

"That would be great," Mom nodded and then looked at me. "Eric, this chicken is amazing."

"Thank you," I smiled at her.

Sookie finally took a bite of hers, and moaned, which was slightly awkward for me with my mom there.

"Will you make this for me every day for forever?" she asked.

"You'd get sick of it around day 437," I told her.

"I was hoping that wouldn't happen until day 672," she deadpanned.

"Just wait until he makes Thanksgiving dinner. You won't be able to move for a week," Mom warned.

"Now I'm looking forward to that," she smiled. "What do you guys do for Thanksgiving?"

"Usually Dad comes up to visit," I told her. "With Pam still in school flying out here for two days isn't really all that convenient, especially since Mom is a Black Friday shopper."

"Don't knock it 'til you try it," Mom chimed in.

"There is no way I'm freezing my ass off in a Best Buy parking lot at three in the morning just to find out that the one thing I wanted to buy is already sold out," I said. "Besides, I plan to be in a turkey induced coma until at least noon."

"Sorry, Mrs. Northman, I'm a turkey coma person too."

"What about you, Sookie? Do you go back to Louisiana for the holiday?" Mom asked.

"For the last few years I've just stayed home and ordered pizza," she said.

"That's... that's unacceptable," Mom said, but she wasn't judging.

"I'm sure it'll be different this year, Mom," I said.

"Just don't let your father talk you into deep frying another turkey. I'm sure Sookie doesn't want to spend Thanksgiving in a burn unit."

"People did nothing but deep fried turkey in the south," Sookie said. "The men considered it their job."

"Yes, but Eric's father is like a twelve-year-old trapped in an almost sixty-year-old man's body," Mom pointed out.

"And he's not the redneck he thinks he is," I snorted. "I don't know where he got that idea from."

"Deep fried turkey is actually really good. You just have to make sure it's totally thawed before you fry it."

"Oh I know," I said. "I've done it before, but I let Dad do it one year when he insisted he knew how and it didn't end well."

"Was there a hospital visit?" Sookie asked.

"Burn unit," Mom repeated.

"Oh no."

"Not for me," I said. "But Dad ended up with some pretty nasty burns on his hands and leg."

"Oil burns are so awful too," she said.

"Yeah he was in the hospital for a couple of days with that one," I shook my head. "From now on, his job is to keep an eye on the football game and nothing else."

"That's likely for the best," Sookie smiled. "I'm looking forward to meeting him."

"Oh he'll love you," Mom laughed. "Beware of him trying to get you to run off with him, though."

"So he's one of those dads, got it," she nodded.

"I'll do my best to keep him away from you," I promised.

"I'm in no danger of running off with your father, I promise," she smiled.

"Oh I know," I smiled at her.

"As long as you know."

We finished the rest of our meal and Mom offered to clean up to give Sookie and me a few minutes together without her hanging around, but instead Sookie and I cleaned up while Mom went to go call Pam before it got too late. We ended up taking a walk around the neighborhood for a while to make room for dessert, and then came back to the apartment for cake. It was fucking delicious, and Mom insisted that Sookie write down the recipe for her before she left for the night.

I had offered Mom the spare bedroom in my apartment but she opted to get a hotel room instead, insisting that she didn't want to infringe on my personal space too much. Before she left for the night we made plans to have brunch together, and she insisted Sookie come along.

"I think she liked me," Sookie said after she left.

"I told you so," I said shamelessly after locking the door.

"You cannot make fun of me for being so nervous," she said. "And she liked my cake!"

"She loved your cake," I smiled at her and leaned against the door.

"I'm so happy that went well."

"Me too," I said, and pushed off from the door. "You know you don't have to come to brunch if you don't want to."

"Why wouldn't I want to?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I'm just saying that if you don't want to you don't have to."

"Do you not want me to?"

"I didn't say that," I sighed.

"Am I reading too much into it?"

"Yeah, you are."

"Sorry," she frowned.

"It's okay," I said. "And if I didn't want you to meet my mother I wouldn't have even bothered mentioning she was coming into town."

"I know."

I went over and gave her a hug before I asked, "So what would you like to do now?"

She looked up at me and smiled.

"Did I tell you that I'm now in the clear?"

"The clear?" I asked and her eyes widened like I should know better. I thought for a moment and it dawned on me. "Oh! Is that right?"

"Yes it is. So now it's up to you."

"Why don't we just see where things go?" I suggested.

"Whatever you want, sweetie," she said.

"Well you make yourself comfortable, and I'm going to the bathroom," I kissed the top of her head, and then went to the bathroom that was off of the kitchen.

I came out a few minutes later and found Sookie stretched out on the couch, flipping through TV channels. I sat down and put her feet up on my lap.

"Anything good on?" I asked her.

"Not really," she said, and handed me the remote. "You can pick."

"Oh that's dangerous since there's a baseball game on right now," I smirked, knowing she generally found sports to be boring.

"If you put it on baseball I will either fall asleep, or distract you sexually."

I laughed and asked, "Do I get to pick which one?"

"That's dangerous for you, sir."

"Why's that?"

"If you choose the sex, you'll miss the game, and if you choose that I fall asleep, I'll be offended."

"If I choose the sex there are always highlights later," I smirked. "And if I choose that you fall asleep, I can always find a creative way to wake you up."

"But I'll likely just go home if you should choose that I sleep."

"Then I think it's safe to say that I'd rule out the sleep option," I told her, but turned on the game anyway.

"Does this mean I need to start distracting you?"

"If you want," I shrugged. "Or I could teach you something about the game."

"But I don't want... okay, teach me something about the game."

"What do you know about it?" I asked her since I had no idea what she knew.

"I want to know whatever you want to tell me," she said. "All I know is that you hit the ball and run around the bases."

"Then I guess I should start with the basics," I said, and proceeded to explain the sport to her.

Compared to other sports baseball wasn't really all that complicated. Getting into specific terms like earned run averages and batting percentages would just put her to sleep. The more interesting part was explaining the strike zone and then watching her disagree with a call that an umpire made on a ball that was a little low and definitely painting the outside corner.

"Yeah that was definitely a ball," I agreed. "Unfortunately they're not allowed to argue the calls."

"They can in Tennis," she said. "Tennis is a great sport."

"Yeah, but if they were allowed to argue every call that was made the games would never end," I pointed out.

"Yeah yeah," she sighed. "This still seems a little boring."

"It'd be a very different game if the wind was blowing out today. On those days it's like a home run derby," I told her. "But the wind is a huge factor in this city and today it's blowing in."

"Now that is kind of interesting."

"It is," I nodded. "The direction of the wind can completely alter the way a game is played. The outfield shifts in different direction, or goes further out to the warning track because of the higher probability of home runs. It's interesting."

"Do you ever go to the games?"

"I haven't had much time for that this season. Between work and you, my time has been pretty filled," I told her.

"I'm sorry," she pouted. "Maybe you could take me with you."

"If you think you'd want to go," I said.

"I should take an active interest in your interests."

I smiled and said, "Well, if nothing else you could sit in the bleachers and sun yourself while the regulars heckle the opposing team's outfielders."

"I wouldn't dare distract from the game by sunning myself," she smiled.

"Well I wouldn't recommend topless sunbathing," I snickered. "But if we sit in the bleachers on a hot day you're going to want to be wearing as little as possible. It's not unusual to see girls out there in bikini tops."

"I'll go, Eric. It doesn't seem that bad. Who knows, I might become a fan."

"Crazier things have happened," I agreed. "Hell, maybe you and Amelia will finally be friends again and we can go with her and Rasul."

She frowned, and didn't say anything.

"Still mad at her?" I asked.

"I never was! She just refuses to talk to me, and it sucks, and it hurts, and I don't know what to do."

"I'm sorry," I said sympathetically, and wrapped my arm around her when she leaned against me.

"I wish I could just forget about it, but I can't. She's my best friend."

"I know," I kissed her head. "Hopefully she'll get over whatever it is that's been bothering her and you can work things out."

"Yeah..."

We were quiet for a while after that. I kept my eyes on the game and when it was over, the usual victory song started since the game ended with a win. The fans on TV were all singing and dancing along, as was the post-game ritual, and white flags with big, blue Ws were being flown all over the stadium.

Sookie had been quiet for a while so I looked down to see if she was still awake. Her eyes were closed but I didn't think she was sleeping.

"You awake?" I asked her.

"Barely," she whispered.

"Then let's go to bed," I suggested, and turned off the TV. "Are you walking or do you want a ride?"

"I'll always take a ride from you," she smiled with sleepy eyes.

I got up and then bent to scoop her up off the couch. I took her back to my bedroom and set her down on the bed, and then went back to the living room to turn off the lights. When I got back to my bedroom Sookie was sitting at the edge of my bed, rubbing her eyes.

"Are we sleeping naked tonight?" she asked me.

"Up to you," I said, and headed for the bathroom.

"If we sleep naked, then we're banging in the morning," she called out to me.

"We probably would anyway," I called back and loaded my toothbrush with toothpaste. "But if we sleep naked there's always the chance I'll wake you up in the middle of the night."

"Naked sleep it is then," she said, and I heard her clothes start hitting the floor.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! **


	12. That's Life

**NSFW warning AND a tissue warning.  
**

* * *

Chapter 11 - That's Life

**SPOV**

I was in a deep sleep, in the midst of what I was sure was a dirty dream when I heard a growl. For a moment I thought it was just the dream. In it I had Eric tied to his bed and was teasing him rather mercilessly, and I could tell he loved and hated it at the same time. But then I moved my hand and discovered there was something between my legs and as my body started to wake up, my eyes opened to find Eric face down between my thighs.

The growl was very real and it had come from him. He was looking up at me with an expression of lust and smugness for having successfully woken me in a way he rarely did, if only because I beat him to it. Then again, I had never woken him for sex in the middle of the night like this unless we were on a roll. He spread my legs a little wider and after a few slow licks, his lips closed around my clit. He sucked a little and then his tongue went to work.

My back arched and my hand slipped into his hair, holding him in place. He growled again and the vibration of it made me moan a little louder. When my hips started to writhe he held me down, and waited until I was right on the edge before he backed off.

My head popped up and I glared at him. "Why did you stop?" I demanded, feeling as if I had just been robbed of what was about to be a great orgasm.

"Oh I'm sorry," he smirked. "Were you about to come?"

"You know I was," I narrowed my eyes. "Now get back to it, or I'll finish myself."

"Patience, woman," he said, and lightly bit my inner thigh before kissing his way up my body.

He paused at my breasts, giving each of them copious amounts of attention until I was panting, and then he moved on to my collarbone and neck. By the time he got to my mouth I was ready to roll him over and attack him, but Eric had me boxed in. His hips ground against mine, which caused a grunt of frustration to slip out of me.

"I was going to let you sleep," he looked into my eyes as he spoke. "But I was lying here thinking about how amazing it's going to feel to be inside you with nothing between us and I couldn't wait anymore."

He ground himself against me and before I could respond his mouth slanted over mine and stole what little breath I had left. It was distracting how good of a kisser he was. I got lost in it for a while, and it wasn't until he rolled us over that I remembered there was more than kissing we could be doing. Both of us were more than ready, so I reached behind me and stroked him a few times before lifting my hips and positioning him just right.

I had assumed that skin on skin would feel differently, but I didn't know it would feel that good. His grip on my hips tightened and his eyes rolled back into his head as I slid down his impressive length. He was only about halfway in when I paused for a moment just to savor the feeling. It was amazing.

I stilled again when he was all the way in, and then lifted up slowly, paying attention to how every inch of him felt as I moved. Eric opened his eyes and watched me lower myself again, and I continued to rise and fall slowly for a while, letting him watch the show as he disappeared inside me.

"Fuck, this feels amazing," Eric groaned, and then sat up.

I wrapped my legs around him and he pulled my face closer to his to kiss me. My hips started to rock against him and my arm wrapped around his shoulders to keep myself close to him. My chest rubbed against his until he broke the kiss and bowed his head to kiss my breasts and nipples. I leaned back a short time later and planted my hands on the mattress behind me, and then planted my feet on the mattress behind him. Again I started to rise and fall, and Eric rewarded me with fast, tight circles rubbed on my clit.

He leaned forward again and attacked my chest and stomach with kisses. His hand never stopped moving, even when I warned him I was close. He shouted right along with me when I came, but then shifted his position so he was on top of me and my head was at the foot of the bed. He pushed my legs up closer to my chest and when he thrust into me he ground his pubic bone against my clit.

How Eric managed to hold out for as long as he did I have no idea, but it seemed to take forever (not that I minded) before he finally let go, and it was only because I came again. I had felt him come inside me before, but it was different this time, and after he did, he collapsed on top of me in a sweaty mess of limbs.

Simply put it was the best sex we'd ever had.

"Wow," I gasped out. "That was..."

"Yeah," he said rather incoherently.

"And you don't have to run off so quickly to take care of the condom," I pointed out after another moment or two had passed.

"Nope," he said, finally lifting his head. "But you will probably want to get cleaned up a little."

"I'm sure I will," I laughed. "We'll also probably want to get a spare set of sheets."

"I have one," he said, and kissed me once more before pulling out and rolling to the side.

"You know," I smiled over at him. "We kind of just lost our virginity to each other."

He chuckled and said, "Yeah, kind of. Was it good for you?"

"It was excellent for me."

"Good," he smiled up at the ceiling.

"And you?" I asked.

"We are never using a condom again," he turned his head to grin at me.

"That good, huh? Oh wait, I was there, it was that good."

"Yes it was."

"I think I should probably go clean up now," I sighed.

"Probably," he said.

I rolled on my side and kissed his cheek, then went to the bathroom to clean up. Sex was a messy business, but not having to stop for a condom was totally worth the mess. By the time I climbed back in bed and curled up next to Eric again, he looked ready to pass out.

"Did I wear you out?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said, and wrapped an arm around me.

"I've still got it," I joked.

"Yes you do."

"I'm so excited that I don't have to stash condoms around my place anymore."

"Where were you keeping them?"

"Couch cushions, in the bathroom, in the spare room, in the kitchen-"

"Jesus, Stackhouse," he laughed.

"I wanted to be prepared," I laughed with him. "You're kind of good at the spontaneity thing."

"You do seem to enjoy it when I just pin you against a wall," he reached down and pinched my ass.

"Hey!" I giggled. "You enjoy it just as much."

"Of course I do."

"We are pretty good at the sex thing."

"It certainly seems so," he agreed, and then yawned.

"Tired? We should go to sleep."

"Yep, I'm ready to pass out," he said.

I looked up and got a goodnight kiss from him, then said, "I love you and goodnight."

"Goodnight," he smiled at me.

**oOoOoOo**

The next day Eric and I had brunch with his mom, who still liked me, and then I headed over to Amelia's apartment so we could talk. I didn't like not talking to my best friend, and I really didn't like knowing something was wrong with her when she wouldn't let me help.

I knocked on her apartment door, and it didn't take her long to answer.

"Hi, Ames," I said, offering her a small smile.

"Hi," she said, but seemed guarded and hesitated to offer me an invitation inside.

"I was hoping we could talk," I said, and held up a container which had a piece of cake in it. "I brought a peace offering."

Her eyes shifted nervously and said, "Now's not... hold on," she closed the door.

I stood there staring at the door in confusion, but waited like she asked.

Amelia came back a few minutes later and opened the door. Her face was flushed and she looked like she'd been crying.

"Come in," she said in a croaky voice.

I walked in and set the container and my purse on the counter, then wrapped my arms around her.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

She burst into tears-the gross, sobby kind. I couldn't really think to do anything but hold her while she cried and wait for her to say something.

"It's okay, Ames," I said as I rubbed her back soothingly.

A frustrated groan escaped her and she pulled away from me.

"No, Sook, it's not," she said, and reached for a tissue to wipe her face.

"What's going on?"

"I love Tray," she practically spat it out. "I'm in love with him, okay? You were right. Tray would be perfect for me and I know that, but I can't be with him. He deserves better than what I can give him."

"Sweetie, I'm not sure he could get any better than you."

"I'm dying, Sookie," Amelia said, and I burst out laughing.

"No you're not. You're healthy as a horse."

"No," she shook her head, and handed me a manila envelope that she grabbed from a cabinet. "I have the same kind of cancer my mother did. I have an inoperable brain tumor, and my doctor has given me less than a year to live. There is nothing I can do about it. We could try to do chemo, but it would just make me sick and I don't want to spend the time I have left like that. I didn't want to tell anyone that I was sick because I don't want you to look at me like I'm a ghost already, but it turns out that I suck at keeping secrets."

If the look in her eyes didn't tell me she was being completely honest, the MRI and CAT scans that I pulled from the envelope would have told me.

"Ames..." the tears were already starting, and all I wanted was to hold onto her and never let go. "How... How much time?"

"Less than a year. It could be six months, three weeks... tonight in my sleep," her lower lip quivered.

"How long have you known?"

"I found out three days before I broke up with Bobby," she confessed. "I didn't want to spend the rest of my life with that asshole."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, and set the envelope aside. "You didn't have to go through this alone."

"Because I remember the way it was when my mother got sick. I remember the way people looked at her, like she was already gone. I didn't want you to look at me like that, and I don't want you trying to research some miracle cure that isn't going to come. I want to enjoy what time I have left, and I want to leave the world knowing that my friends will have good memories of me to hold onto. I don't want you to remember a sick person, Sookie. I want you to remember me," she said.

"How could I remember you as anyone but you? You're my best friend. The girl who calls me out on my shit, and always makes me laugh no matter what. I'm going to remember all the good things about you, and the bad things too, like how pushy you can be," I tried to crack a smile.

"And what about when I'm not so healthy anymore, Sookie? What about when my memory starts to go, or if I lose the ability to speak or see? It's all possible. By the time I go, I might not even know who you are anymore," she said. "I've been thinking about moving back to New Orleans."

"Why? So your dad can make you miserable?"

"Because I want to be buried next to my mother," her voice cracked.

Tears were streaming down my face as I said, "You don't have to move back for that to happen."

"No," she said, straining to hold back tears of her own. "No, it doesn't have to happen like that, but... I don't want you to see me the way I'm going to end up, Sookie. Maybe that's selfish of me, but..."

"It won't matter to me," I said. "Maybe it's selfish of me too, but I want you around as long as possible, and no matter what happens, you're still you."

"I'll never be far away, Sookie," she said, and then her dam broke. "I'll always be with you."

I wrapped my arms around her and we both sobbed.

"You better haunt me," I told her after a few minutes.

"Oh I will," she laughed quietly. "I'll hide your rings on your wedding day, and I'll make funny faces at your babies when they're born. Oh! And when you buy a house I'll make the lights flicker or slam doors. Eric will love that."

"Still so sure it's Eric, huh?" I asked, and wiped the tears off her cheeks.

"I've decided that it's my dying wish that you get everything you ever wanted," she told me.

"But I want you," I said, and the tears started again. "Who's going to go shopping with me for my wedding dress, and stand up there with me? Who's going to be my children's Godmother? Who am I supposed to go to when I'm having relationship problems or just need a pick-me-up? And what about you? I'm not going to be there to tell you that the guy hitting on you was just talking up another girl. I won't be able to hold your hair back when you puke, or back you up when you have a cat fight in a bathroom. What if you need to cry on my shoulder?"

"I'll be dead, Sook," she said, and there was a certain degree of numbness to her voice when she uttered those words. "I don't know if they allow catfights in the bathroom in heaven. And you'll find a new friend. Obviously he or she won't be as amazing as I am, but you'll move on. Maybe we should have interviews so I can help pick 'em."

"I'll never find a friend like you."

"I hope not," she said with a small smile. "I like to think I'm unique."

"You are," I smiled. "And don't think I missed that you told me you're in love with Tray either."

"I don't want him to know," she said.

"Amelia, listen to me," I told her. "You know me, and you know that I'll end up telling him after... after. He'll be devastated that he never got to tell you back, or even kiss you. I never got to tell my parents goodbye, but we have that chance with you. I'd give anything to go back and tell them I loved them one last time. Please don't take that chance from Tray."

"That's why you can't tell him, Sookie," she said. "Because no matter what, it's not fair, and I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. I don't want him to feel like he has to be with me because I'm the dying girl. I want him to be happy, and he won't be if he has to watch me die."

"It may not be fair, but clearly life isn't fair or you wouldn't be dying. You love him, Ames. You deserve to have love in your life, even if it's just for a short while."

"I have it," she said. "Please, Sookie, just do this for me, okay?"

"I don't like it," I said. "I'll do it, but I won't like it at all."

"Thank you," she said. "So... how about that cake now?"

**oOoOoOo**

I left Amelia's place several hours later feeling extremely drained. We'd cried, and laughed, and cried more. I wasn't sure I would be able to cry again for months, but then Eric opened his door after I knocked, and the tears started flowing all over again.

"Whoa," he said, and pulled me inside. "What's this about?"

"Amelia's dying," I sobbed.

"What?" he sounded absolutely stunned.

"She has cancer, the same as her mother had. There's nothing they can do, and she has less than a year to live."

"Fuck," he groaned and rubbed my back. "I'm so sorry, Sookie."

"I don't know what to do."

He closed the apartment door and pulled me down onto the couch with him. He didn't say anything for a while and just let me cry it out until I had nothing left.

"I wish I knew what to tell you to do, but I'm as stumped as you are on this one. Maybe just try to make the best of the time she's got left. You know, do all the bucket list things," he suggested.

"She's talking about moving back home," I told him. "And she told me that she's in love with Tray, but can't be with him because it's unfair to him. She just wants to keep things normal before they get bad."

"I can't blame her for that, but not talking to Tray seems like a bad idea," he said. "But it's her life and her decision on how she spends the rest of it. Maybe she'll change her mind."

"I hope so."

"Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked quietly.

"Become a miracle worker and figure out how to cure cancer?"

"I can barely figure out how to cure that ring around my bathtub," he joked. "But I'll do what I can."

"I feel so helpless," I said. "I hate that there's nothing anyone can do for her."

"You can make sure the time she has left is happy," he said. "But I know it's hard not to be able to save her when you want to."

"I'm trying to imagine what I would want if it were me."

"That's a hard thing to picture. Dealing in hypotheticals is one thing, but it's different when it really happens to you."

"Maybe it should have been me," I said. "She's a good person. She doesn't deserve this."

"You don't either," he said. "And this isn't a punishment, Sookie. It was just an unfortunate luck of the draw situation."

"But it's so unfair," I cried.

"Yes it is," he kissed my head.

"I don't know what I'm going to do without her."

"I know it won't be the same, but you won't be alone without her, Sookie. You have a lot of people in your life who love you... and there's me," he said.

I looked up at him and wiped the fresh tears from my face.

"I know. I don't mean to make you feel like you're not important. I just don't think I could replace her, ever."

"I don't think you should try. Amelia has a special place in your heart and memories for a reason, and I don't think that has to end just because her body isn't here anymore."

I nodded and laid my head back down on his chest.

"There's so much of our lives we were supposed to share with each other still. It's so hard to think that she won't be a part of those things anymore."

"She will, just in a different way than you planned."

"That's not really that comforting right now though."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he said.

"I'm sorry too."

"Seriously, is there anything I can do for you?"

"Just hold me for a while longer?" I asked.

"As long as you want," he said, and kissed my head again.

"I love you," I whispered. "I just need you to really know that."

"I know you do," he held me a little tighter.

"I'm sorry if I freaked you out when I got here."

"It's okay. I would probably be just as big of a mess as you are if I was in your shoes."

"But you'd have me, and I'm glad I have you," I said, and reached for his hand.

"I know I would," he squeezed my hand.

I looked up at him again, and stretched up to kiss him.

"There's something else I need to tell you. I know you've already had a pretty big day, but..." he trailed off with a nervous look on his face.

"As long as you're not dying too, I think I can handle it."

"Not that I'm aware of," he smiled at me. "I wanted to tell you the other night, but I didn't want you to think it was just the awesome sex talking. I love you, Sookie. So you can add one more person to that list of people."

I stared at him unblinkingly. He loved me? That was the last thing I was expecting him to tell me.

"You love me?"

"Quite a lot, actually."

"Are you sure it wasn't the awesome sex?"

"That added to it, but it was already there."

"Please don't get offended when I start crying again in a couple seconds," I said as my eyes welled, and then I hugged him.

"As long as those are happy tears and not 'oh fuck now I'm stuck with this guy' tears," he said.

"They're happy ones," I smiled into his shoulder. "You make me incredibly happy."

"Good," he said.

"Will you say it again?"

He lifted my face, looked me in my eyes and said, "I love you, Sookie."

"That's probably the best thing I've heard my whole life."

"It is pretty awesome, isn't it?" he agreed.

"I never knew it would feel like this," I smiled.

"I'm glad you're smiling," he said. "That looks much better on you."

"Than snotsobbing?"

"Not that the snotsobbing doesn't have its appeal, but the smiling is much better."

"I think I just figured out what you can do for me," I said.

"Do tell," he smiled at me.

"Make me forget for a while."

"I think I can do that," he said, and then leaned in to kiss me.

* * *

**So now you know what's been up with Amelia lately :( Thanks for reading.  
**


	13. Fight

**I'm so sorry to bum everyone out with what's happening to Amelia. :( It was a surprise to MMHS and I too when we wrote it. This chapter will either make you sad or make you want to punch someone. Hopefully not me... Also, NSFW in the beginning here.  
**

* * *

Chapter 12 - Fight

**EPOV**

It was St. Patrick's Day, the anniversary of the day I met Sookie, and the morning started with unlimited access to her Irish Jugs. We had each taken the day off of work so we could attend the parade going on downtown. At the moment I had her sprawled on her back while I thrust deep and hard into her. She was holding onto the slats of the headboard, her eyes squeezed shut while she rode out the waves of pleasure that carried her through her first orgasm of the day. I picked up her leg and swung it around to turn her over, and Sookie quickly caught onto what I was doing.

She let go of the headboard and got up on her hands and knees. Instead of entering her again and moved back a little and bent down to bite and kiss her perfect ass, and then spread her wet lower lips with my thumbs so I could fuck her with my tongue for a moment. She reached back and held my head, rocking back and forth on her knees.

"That feels so fucking good," she said with a moan, and just because I knew it really got her going, the hand that was resting on her ass lifted and came down, filling the room was a sharp cracking sound. Sookie moaned and said, "Again."

So I did, and squeezed the firm flesh that was quickly warming under my hand. I got up on my knees again and thrust into her all at once. I resumed pounding into her hard and fast, holding onto her hips as I did. Her head sank to the mattress and she clutched the sheets. When I felt her getting close, I slowed my pace a bit, drawing out her pleasure. Her moans got louder and the fluttering of her pussy got faster as I started to drive into her again.

All it took was a rapid succession of slaps on her ass, and she was coming again, and she took me over the edge with her. I felt myself swell a little larger in her, and my grip on her hips got tighter. I thrust into her as hard as I could one last time and then lost it. I roared with my release and felt myself tremble a little bit as I came. Sookie was still moaning, face down on the mattress in front of me. I leaned forward to kiss her back and shoulders. She was all sweaty, as was I, and it was a good thing we hadn't showered yet or we would probably end up right back in there together.

I pulled out of her slowly and I'm not at all ashamed to admit that I found it incredibly sexy to watch my come slowly dribble out of her, which it definitely did that morning. I placed one more kiss on her lower right cheek, and then reached over to grab a tissue off the nightstand to clean her up with a little bit. She shivered when I touched her ultra sensitive lower lips, and even though we'd just finished a round, I wanted another... or six. It was safe to say fucking my girlfriend was my favorite way to spend my time, and I was pretty sure she felt the same way.

"Do we have to go to the parade?" I asked her as I tossed the used tissue into the trash. "I say we stay here and fuck all day instead. We can watch the parade on TV."

I knew the chances of her agreeing to such a thing were slim since it wasn't just St. Patrick's Day, but also Amelia's birthday. More than likely her last. So far she seemed to be doing okay, but I knew there were some days that were worse than others. There had been a handful of times when Sookie had gotten a call in the middle of the night and ended up going over to Amelia's to spend the night there. I didn't mind it since it didn't happen all the time.

Not to mention, how do you tell a dying woman to quit being so needy? You don't. Not that I felt that way. I couldn't blame her one bit for wanting Sookie's comfort. I would want it too if I was in Amelia's shoes.

"You know we do," she smiled at me. "We can fuck all day another day."

"Oh fine," I faked a pout, but then dropped down next to her on the bed so we were face to face. "Did you sleep well?'

"I did. Did you?"

"Very well," I smiled at her.

"Good."

"Do you know who else is coming today besides Amelia?" I asked her, and then stretched.

"Pretty much everyone we know," she said. "Amelia wanted to be with everyone one last time."

"That's cool," I nodded. "What about Rasul?"

Rasul was a great guy and we'd actually become friends, even though things with him and Amelia had gone downhill after she'd informed everyone of her illness. It wasn't because he couldn't handle being with her, or anything like that. He liked her a lot, actually. The problem was that Amelia seemed to be keeping everyone at arm's length, and that included the people who were closest to her. It was difficult for Sookie sometimes, and it really irked her not to be able to do more for her friend. But that was the way Amelia wanted it.

"He'll be there. I think he's accepted that Amelia doesn't want anything more, but he still wants to be her friend."

"He doesn't really talk about it with me, so I'm guessing it's a sore spot for him," I told her. "Most guys are like that, I imagine. The more important the girl, the fewer details we want to give away when things happen."

"I think he's upset that she won't let him help her," she frowned. "I think we all are though."

"I know," I rolled onto my side. "But just think... it's really the only thing she can control at this point, honey. Everything else in her life is up to some higher power to decide."

"I know. And I understand it. I just wish... well, a lot of things, and none of them will happen."

"You never know," I told her. "Miracles happen all the time. Maybe Amelia will be lucky enough to have one happen to her."

"I'm not sure I could handle hoping for that."

I hated when she got that sad, almost defeated look on her face. I knew she was just trying to be realistic about what was going to happen. Amelia's doctors had made it clear that they all concurred with the diagnosis. There was nothing to be done but wait. Eventually the illness would take over and Amelia would more than likely need round-the-clock care. The end was going to be tragic and I knew Sookie was bracing herself for when that time came. So far it was almost impossible to tell that anything was even wrong with Amelia. She looked just as healthy as she did when I met her a year ago.

I decided to change the subject a little to keep her from getting too down about all of this stuff, even though I knew it was always in the back of her mind. I hated it when the phone rang unexpectedly because I knew she was afraid it was a call from someone letting her know Amelia was gone.

"Did you find a new St. Paddy's shirt to wear?" I asked, knowing full well that she got a new one every year. I was pretty sure I had seen one hanging in her closet the last time I was at her place, but she had refused to let me look.

"I did," she smiled. "I can't wait to see the look on your face when you see it."

"It better be good," I told her. "Because I think I outdid myself this year."

"Did you?"

"Uh huh. But you can't see it until I'm dressed," I smirked at her. Two could play her game.

"It's only fair I suppose."

"We should get in the shower," I told her. The parade was supposed to start at ten and it was already eight. We were supposed to be meeting our friends at nine thirty, and showering together never saved time.

"Yeah we should," she agreed, and sat up. "You did well this morning, darling."

"Why thank you," I smiled at her, and rolled off the bed. "You weren't so bad yourself."

Sookie went to the bathroom first and started the water for the shower. For the last couple of weeks she had been at my house practically every night, and I found I liked having her there. It was becoming increasingly ridiculous that we were going back and forth. She had a key to my apartment already. I'd given her one for Christmas, much to her surprise, but it just made sense. I didn't want her standing outside freezing her ass off waiting for me in the middle of winter. Not to mention, I trusted her not to go snooping through my stuff. Not that I had anything I was worried about her finding.

I paused at the sink to brush my teeth before getting into the shower with her, and she was already wetting down her hair for washing. I handed her the shampoo and said, "I've been thinking about something. I'd like your opinion on it."

"Okay," she said.

"We've been spending the night together quite a bit lately," I said, and she nodded her agreement with a smile on her face. "And as of this Tuesday it'll be a year since we started dating. We could keep going back and forth from one place to the other, but I was thinking maybe we could try living together."

Her smile got bigger, and she said, "Really?"

"Yeah," I smiled back at her. "Have you thought about it at all, or is this too fast?"

"I've been thinking about it. Ever since I went back to my apartment the other day and realized I hadn't slept there in a week and had to throw out a bunch of food that had gone bad."

"Oh, that's not good. The food, I mean," I said. "So... how do we do this? I've never lived with anyone before. Well, except for my roommates in college, but that was different."

"Yeah, you get to have sex with me," she laughed.

"I had a girl roommate in college," I revealed. "But we never had sex."

"Really? A girl roommate, in college, and you didn't do anything sexual with her?"

"I didn't say that. I said we never had sex," I said.

"What did you do?"

"Got incredibly drunk on cheap wine that left us both with nasty hangovers the next day, but that night she was all bummed about a recent breakup and for some reason it sounded like a good idea to fool around. We made out for a while and she gave me a blowjob, but that was as far as it went," I shrugged. It wasn't a big deal to either of us, and we figured out the next day that we weren't really compatible in a romantic sense. It was the only time things ever got sexual between us.

"Any good?" she asked, and she didn't look happy.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "We were drunk. It's all kind of a blur."

"I see." She turned around to grab the conditioner, and started coating her hair with it.

"Oh come on. Don't tell me you're pissed about something that happened long before I ever met you," I said.

She ignored what I said and asked, "Do you still talk to her?"

"Once in a while," I said honestly. We weren't best friends or anything, but I didn't see any reason why talking to her would still be a problem.

"I see," she said again and rinsed the conditioner out.

"What's wrong with that? We're just friends. There's nothing going on between us, Sookie," I told her. "Hell, I'll call her and invite her over for dinner sometime so you can meet her if you want. I have nothing to hide."

"I didn't say there was anything wrong with it," she said. "And I know you don't have anything to hide. I'd rather not meet her though, thanks."

"So then what's the problem? You asked," I pointed out. I really didn't see what the big deal was. I knew she'd been with other guys before me. I didn't care.

"There's no problem," she said with a sigh as she soaped up her body.

"Uh huh," I said, but didn't buy it for a second. There was a look on her face that told me there was something definitely bothering her, but I wasn't going to keep picking at her.

So much for round two in the shower, though.

She rinsed off, and then said, "Excuse me," as she stepped around me to get out of the shower.

"Allow me," I said, and opened the curtain for her.

She stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel to wrap her hair in before grabbing another to dry her body. I decided to ignore her since I was obviously getting the silent treatment from her. I really didn't know what the problem was. I knew she still talked to some of her ex-boyfriends from time to time. I trusted her so I didn't see a reason to worry about it.

I washed up and got out of the shower a few minutes later, pissed off and not really in the mood to go downtown for the parade anymore. The morning had started off so nicely, but that was shot to shit. It was supposed to be a good day, in spite of the dark cloud that was hanging over our group of friends. I had asked Sookie about living together, but I realized she hadn't really given me an answer.

I went back to the bedroom to get dressed in a pair of dark washed jeans and my new St. Patrick's Day t-shirt. Sookie and I completely ignored one another the entire time we got dressed. I kept waiting for her to tell me what was going on in her head, but that didn't happen. She went back to the bathroom to finish getting ready and I went to the living room to check the weather. It was going to be chilly outside, but that was to be expected in the middle of March. By the time we were leaving the apartment we still hadn't spoken to each other, other than to make sure the other was ready to go.

We didn't hold hands like we usually did when we walked down the street, and the train was packed when we got onto it so we had to stand. The movement had us bouncing off of each other, but still we were quiet. When we reached our stop we got off the train and headed up the stairs to reach street level. The silence was starting to get the better of me, but I was stubbornly refusing to be the first one to talk. She was the one with the problem, and if she wanted to keep ignoring me that was on her.

We reached the spot where we were supposed to be meeting our friends and found we were the first to arrive. I wondered how much longer we would be keeping this up, since our friends would obviously know something wasn't right with us and I didn't really want the peanut gallery weighing in on whatever it was that was going on between us.

"Are we going to talk about this, or are you going to keep ignoring me?" I asked her finally.

"I'm not ignoring you."

"Bullshit."

"Then I don't want to talk about it."

I snorted and said, "Fine."

I decided then that if she wanted to have a shitty day that was on her. I was going to enjoy myself.

"There you are!" Amelia called out a few minutes later, and I was never so glad to see her in my life.

"Hey, Amelia," I smiled at her.

"Hi Ames," Sookie said, and hugged her.

"Nice shirt, Sook," Amelia laughed when she took a step back.

"Thanks," she beamed. "You look great!"

"Why thank you," Amelia curtsied a little. "I was afraid the fake green eyelashes were too much, but I figured what the hell. It's my last St. Patrick's Day."

"And we're going to make it the best one ever," Sookie said, and reached for her hand.

"Damn skippy we are," she said with a smile. "So what's with you two?"

"What are you talking about?" Sookie asked.

"Don't play dumbass with me," Amelia said. "My powers of observation are as good as ever, and normally you two are either pawing at each other or at least holding hands. Right now there might as well be a glacier between you two."

"Sookie's jealous," I said, which got me a glare from Sookie.

"No, I'm not!"

"So then what's the trouble in paradise routine about?" Amelia asked.

"It's nothing," Sookie said. "Let's go get drinks."

"Oookay," Amelia said, and looked to me. "Want anything, Eric?"

"Surprise me," I said, knowing Sookie would know what I liked well enough to pick something for me.

"Okay. We'll be back in a few minutes then," Amelia said, and let Sookie lead her through the crowd.

I stood there on the sidewalk and it was probably a good thing I was the one they left behind since it made it easier for Tray and Rasul to spot me standing there. The girls were too short and easily lost in the crowd. We stood around making small talk while we waited for the girls to come back with drinks. When they did, Amelia handed mine to me and then went to hug Rasul and Tray just as the rest of the party found its way to us. Sookie was still ignoring me.

The parade started a short time later and I ended up standing next to Rasul instead of Sookie. It bothered me that we weren't talking to each other, but I couldn't force her to say anything if she didn't want to. I tried to remind myself that maybe she was also stressing out over Amelia, but if that was the case I didn't appreciate her taking it out on me. I didn't think that was it, though.

When the parade was over we ended up at the Irish pub where I'd met Sookie the year before and it was already crowded with people. The bar was standing room only by that point, and the first table that came up for grabs was quickly claimed by Tray and Rasul. Flogging Molly blared loudly inside the pub, and it was just after noon when we downed the first round of Irish Car Bombs.

"So what's going on with you and Sookie?" Rasul asked when the girls went over to the bar to pick up another round of shots and beers for us all.

"I have no idea. She's pissed at me but keeps saying there isn't a problem," I shrugged.

"You're fucked," Rasul said and I laughed, knowing he was right.

"She'll tell me eventually," I said, and took a big drink of the green beer sitting in front of me.

"That ginger behind the bar has his eyes on her lucky charms," Rasul informed, and I looked over to see there was definitely a redheaded male bartender talking to Sookie, his eyes not anywhere near focused on her face. I didn't like it, but I also knew Sookie was capable of handling herself.

"She can handle it. If she gets in over her head she'll signal for help," I told him. It wasn't that I didn't get jealous sometimes, it was more like I trusted her to handle things.

A few minutes later Sookie and Amelia returned to the table with another round of drinks and passed the glasses around to us.

"To my father," Amelia held up her shot of Jameson. "Who is paying for this farewell party of mine. Sláinte!"

We all clinked glasses and tossed back our shots. If we kept up like this Sookie would be ready to puke in the next three hours or so. As far as I knew neither of us had eaten anything yet. A slower song by the Pogues started to play so I went around the table and leaned down to whisper in Sookie's ear.

"Will you come dance with me?" I asked her, and hoped she could call a truce long enough for that.

She nodded, and took my hand so I could lead her away to dance. We found a space on the dance floor and her head rested against my chest like it belonged there. The crowd was a bit too loud for us to talk, but that was okay. This was a step in the right direction. If she had refused we would have had a problem. It was hard to concentrate on anything other than all of the shouting, laughing and general merriment going on around us, and yet I didn't feel happy. It was obvious to me that she didn't feel all that happy either.

When the song ended I asked, "Can we go outside and talk?"

"Yeah."

I grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd. There were people spilling out onto the sidewalk, all of them dressed in green and looking slightly ridiculous, but then everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day. We walked around the side of the building and didn't stop until we were well into the alley.

"I know you said you're not mad, but obviously that's not true," I said to her. "You've been ignoring me since the shower this morning and I don't know why."

"I don't know why either," she said.

I hung my head and let out a frustrated breath.

"So are we just going to spend the day acting like we don't know each other then?" I asked her.

"I don't like it any more than you do," she sighed. "I'm not sure why I'm upset, Eric. I can't really tell you much more than that."

"Okay," I said, and then turned to go back to the bar.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Back inside," I said, stopping to turn and face her. "What else is there to talk about out here if you don't know why you're upset?"

She stared at me for a moment, then blinked like she was holding back tears and turned away from me, crossing her arms under her chest. "Then just go."

"Is that what you want?" I asked her. "You want me to just walk away?"

"Of course I don't want you to walk away," she said, throwing her hands up as she turned to face me again. "I want to not be upset. I want to know why I'm upset in the first place. I want to enjoy this day and not ruin it for my dying best friend!"

I wanted to bash my head against a wall. I didn't know what the hell to say to her. Without knowing what the problem was, the conversation felt like it wasn't going to go anywhere.

"So then do that. Have fun," I told her, and it occurred to me that she was until I asked her to dance.

"You can really be such a dick sometimes," she said, and quickly walked past me and back into the crowd.

What the fuck just happened? I seriously considered punching the wall until I remembered it was brick and I'd only end up in the emergency room with a broken hand. That wasn't my idea of a good time. So instead I stayed outside for a while to cool off before going back inside. Maybe getting completely shitfaced would make things better...

* * *

**Yeah... I might post the second part of this fight tonight still.  
**


	14. Hash It Out

**Dayum Sookie's taking a beating from y'all. Hope after hearing her work it out everyone hates her a little less. NSFW  
**

* * *

Chapter 13 - Hash It Out

**SPOV**

"That face tells me you two didn't kiss and make up," Amelia said when I walked back into the bar.

"Not even close," I said. "But I don't want you to worry about that. I don't want my issues to ruin your fun."

"Well you walking around all day with a fake smile isn't going to make me feel good," she said. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Is it going to ruin your buzz?" I asked.

"Not any more than that sour puss stuck to your face," she gave me a cheesy smile.

I rolled my eyes and said, "The problem is that I don't know why I'm mad at him."

"Well what happened that got you mad in the first place? Were you mad at him when you woke up this morning? Maybe you just dreamed something up," she suggested.

"Things were fine when we woke up. We had morning sex and were talking about how it had been a year and smiling, and it was fine," I said. "I don't remember what I dreamed about last night."

"So then something happened to set you off."

"We were taking a shower, and he asked me to move in with him," I told her.

"And that pissed you off?" Amelia looked at me strangely. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a good thing?"

"It's a great thing," I smiled. "But then he told me that he'd lived with a person only once before, and then told me it was a woman, and that they'd gotten drunk once and she gave him a blowjob. After that I just... was in a bad mood."

"Did he have feelings for her or something?" Amelia asked.

"He didn't say. But he said he still talks to her sometimes."

"Do you think he's cheating on you with Little Miss Rebound?" Amelia asked.

"No! He wouldn't cheat, and I know that. And I'm not judging him for something he did before he even knew I existed. I've never been that girl."

"So then what's your malfunction?" Amelia laughed. "Obviously something's sticking in your craw about all this."

"I know, and I don't know what it is," I frowned. "Maybe it's that he's lived with a woman before."

"Well Sook, you and I both know that living with someone and having a roommate are two very different things," she said. "We roomed together in college, and obviously that won't be the same as you and Eric living together. They were just friends. Even if he did have feelings for her it sounds to me like it was a onetime thing that could be chocked up to a silly, drunken mistake and both of us have made some bad calls while intoxicated."

"I don't know... I just feel like I don't know some things about him that maybe I should. He's never even told me his number."

"His number?"

"How many women he's been with."

"And you're worried he's a whore," she said.

"No! I wouldn't judge him for it, I just think it's strange that he's never told me."

"Have you asked him?"

"It's come up in conversation before, but he's always refused to say it because he says it's just asking for trouble."

"He's not entirely wrong," she shrugged. "I mean, even if we say we aren't going to judge we always do a little bit. But it does make me wonder if he's trying to hide something."

"I think that's why I'm upset. I feel like, if he's talked to this girl occasionally, then maybe he's talked to her in the last year, but he's never mentioned her, just like he won't talk about his sexual history, and I know he can be closed off sometimes, but... I don't know. I felt like we were always on even ground, but now it doesn't feel so even."

"Because of the girl roommate?"

"Not just that, because he wants me to move in, and suddenly I feel like I'm not going to live up to whatever he thinks it's going to be like. Probably because I don't know shit about his sexual history, at least that's part of it."

"So then what's the other part?"

"I think that I'm scared we're going to fail."

"Well what's the worst thing that could happen if you fail?"

"I'd have to find a new place to live and deal with the worst breakup ever."

"Yeah," she nodded. "Did you tell Eric any of this stuff?"

"No, I didn't figure it out until just now," I sighed. "I think he's really, really pissed at me."

"Well here's your chance to find out," she patted my shoulder and then slipped into the crowd just as Eric made his way over to where I was sitting.

"I think maybe I should just go home," he said. "You're pissed off and I don't want to ruin your day, or Amelia's birthday. We can talk about this later."

"Eric, don't go," I said, and reached for his hand. "I think I figured out why I was so upset, and we'll talk about it later, okay?"

He looked unsure for a minute before he said, "Okay."

"I'm sorry I called you a dick," I told him.

He nodded but didn't say anything.

"You're pissed," I said.

"Yeah, I am," he said, and signalled the bartender.

"Anything I can do to help you not be so pissed?"

"Not at the moment since you don't want to talk about it," he said, and then ordered another beer.

"Now is not really the time or place."

"Then I guess we're stuck, aren't we?" he asked without looking at me.

"You're doing that dick thing again," I said, glaring at him. The bartender handed him his beer, and stared at my rack while doing it.

"Yeah, well, you're not exactly inspiring me to be nice right now," he said.

"Do you really want to talk about this here? With the bartender staring at my tits," I said pointedly at him, and he immediately averted his eyes and went to help another customer.

He chugged half of his beer and said, "Don't worry about it, Sook. We'll talk about it later. Have fun with your friends." His sincerity was seriously underwhelming.

"Eric, look at me."

He turned his head in my direction but stayed quiet with that scowl still stuck on his face.

"Can't you see for just one second that I love you, and trust me when I tell you that we'll sort this out later?"

He narrowed his eyes and said, "Yeah, I know you do, but that's not what this is about. Go have fun with your friends, Sookie."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child!"

He snickered and said, "You know, I think I liked it better when we weren't talking."

"Fuck you, Eric," I said, my voice cracking.

"Nice," he said, and then turned and left me sitting there at the bar. I saw him go over to where Amelia was talking to Tray, and then he made his way through the crowd and walked out of the building.

I fought back the tears as I went over to Amelia and Tray, and when I got to them I asked if Eric had gone home.

"Yeah, he did," Tray answered. "He came over and apologized for cutting out early."

"Wow..."

"If it helps, he didn't seem happy about it," Amelia said sympathetically.

"He's so mad at me," I said. "You know what. Fuck him. We're doing this night right with or without him."

"You sure about that? If you want to go work things out with him I promise I won't be upset," Amelia offered.

"I'm sure. If he's just going to leave, then I don't want to see him tonight."

"Okay," Amelia said. "Then let's get you another drink."

**oOoOoOo**

I was walking back to my place, almost drunk off my ass when I ran into a big guy outside my apartment.

"Whoa, sorry, didn't see you there," I said as I tried to get my balance back.

"How much did you drink?" That voice sounded like Eric's, and when I looked up it was his face I saw looking back at me.

"Oh hi honey!" I said, and wrapped my arms around him. Then I remembered I was mad at him, and pushed away. "I'm still mad at you."

"Yeah, me too," he said. "But I'm here."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to be mad anymore."

"That's too bad, cause I'm too drunk for that conversation," I said, and moved past him to get into my apartment, but I couldn't seem to find my keys in my purse.

"Here," he handed me my keys. "You dropped them when you bumped into me."

"Thank you," I said, and fumbled when I tried to get the key in the lock. "Stupid thing."

"Did you have fun tonight?" he asked while I struggled with the lock, and when I kicked the door in frustration he gently pushed me aside and easily got the door open.

"Of course I didn't have fun. I spent our anniversary alone because you left."

"Sticking around while we're pissed off at each other is the better option?" he asked, and pushed the front door open for me.

"I told you we'd talk about it later."

"And it's later, but you're drunk," he leaned in the doorway.

"You just going to leave again then?"

"Do you want me to leave?"

"Only if you're going to be mean again."

"I didn't come here to be mean, Sookie."

"Good, cause mean you sucks," I said.

"Back at you," he said with a smile.

"I wasn't being mean," I said.

"You called me a dick twice," he reminded me.

"You were being one. It's not mean if it's true."

"So then that means I can call you a bitch and you won't get mad, right?"

"I wasn't being one."

"Yeah, you were," he said. "Are you going inside or not?"

"How was I being a bitch?" I asked, ignoring his question.

"Are you kidding me right now?" he looked at me in disbelief. "You ignored me for the better part of the day. I tried to talk to you about what your problem was and you either didn't know, or didn't want to. I suggested I leave to avoid making a scene, and it ended up happening anyway..."

"That doesn't make me a bitch."

"And it doesn't make me a dick either, but that didn't stop you from saying it. Twice."

"You told me you liked me better quiet, Eric."

"Because we weren't getting anywhere! You didn't want to talk about whatever your problem is, so what was the point? I was pissed off at you, Sookie. I really don't know what else you expected me to say," he said and let go of the door since neither of us was going inside.

"The point was that I didn't want you to be mad at me," I pouted.

"But it doesn't work like that," he said in frustration. "I don't get to just turn it off because you decide it's not fun for you anymore."

"Ugh, I just wanted to wait to talk about it," I said, and finally went into my apartment.

"I get that, Sookie," he held the door open. "But until things get resolved feelings stay the same."

"Will you come in and shut the door?"

He sighed and followed me into the apartment, shutting the door behind him.

"So let's talk about this."

"I thought you were too drunk for that conversation?"

"I don't care. Maybe I needed alcohol to be ready for this one."

"Okay, so talk," he said, and leaned against the closed door behind him.

"Why won't you ever tell me how many women you've been with?" I asked.

"Because I don't see why it matters," he shrugged. "What difference does it make?"

"It matters because I feel like you're hiding something now."

"Because I didn't tell you about Felicia?" he asked. "Sookie, she was just a friend. Still is. She's married and has two kids."

"If she's a friend, why have I never heard of her until now?"

"Have you told me about every friend in your life?" he fired back. "I will call her right now and you can talk to her if you want to."

"Don't do that, and I don't have any friends that gave me blowjobs one drunken night."

"Is that your problem?"

"Part of it."

"That's ridiculous," he shook his head.

"Did you have feelings for her?"

"She was just a friend, and that's it. It was a stupid thing we did when we were drunk. I wasn't in love with her and she wasn't in love with me. It just happened. But even if I did have feelings for her, what difference does it make?" he glared at me.

"It doesn't! It doesn't matter!"

"Then why are you asking?"

"Because you never told me about having a female roommate, and you never answer my questions about your past, and now I feel like we're not on equal ground anymore."

"First of all, aside from the number of women I've slept with, I have always answered your questions about my past. Frankly with the way you've reacted to this situation, can you blame me for not wanting to tell you? You froze me out all day for no good reason that I can tell. The fact that I had a female roommate before doesn't matter. We didn't share a bed. She had her room and I had mine. We shared a living room and a kitchen, and we hardly ever saw each other between work and school. We weren't lovers. She wasn't my girlfriend. I don't see how all of this is connected," he told me.

"That is so unfair," I poked his chest. "I've never judged you for having been with other women before me, and I'm not judging you for getting a blowjob from your ex roommate. It just made me realize that there's still a lot I don't know about you. Why won't you tell me some things? I thought you trusted me."

"I thought you trusted me too," he stared back at me. "But now I wonder if that's true."

"I do trust you! I just don't understand why you won't let me all the way in."

"Four," he said.

"What?"

"The number is four."

"Four? You have got to be kidding."

"No, I'm not, and that includes you and Felicia," he said. "Although Felicia and I never had sex so maybe it's three."

I was so flabbergasted at his answer that I went into my living room and sat on the couch.

"You were expecting a much higher number, weren't you?" he followed me.

"Of course I was. You always said that that conversation never ends well. How could it not end well if the last person was only finding out she was number two? And you've talked about how you were a different person in college and you always made it sound like you were a womanizer or something. And then there's how good you are in bed. It doesn't make any sense."

"So you don't believe what I'm telling you, is that it?"

"I believe you, Eric. I'm just a little shocked."

"The conversation about numbers never ends well because someone always ends up feeling like they have to explain themselves and their choices to someone else. Like right now," he said. "I shouldn't have to explain any of it to you."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me."

"But I feel like I do."

"You don't," I said, and stood up. "I just wanted to know all of you."

"Well now you know that. Anything else you need to know in order for us to put this stupid ass fight behind us already?"

"You hate me."

"I don't hate you," he said.

"I hate me," I said. The tears started, and I headed back to my room.

He caught up to me in the hall and stopped me in my tracks. "Sookie, stop. You've been dodging me all day."

"Why do you want to move in with me?" I blurted out.

"Because I love you, and I love having you close and because I see a future with you, that's why."

"But what if we suck at it? What if we break up, and I end up losing both of my best friends in the same year?"

"And what if it's the best thing you ever do?" he countered.

"It's scary. I've never lived with a guy before."

"Yeah, well, I've never lived with someone when I was in a relationship either. It'll be new for both of us. Look, if you're not ready or you don't want to, just say so. This isn't an ultimatum, Sookie."

"I feel like I'm ready, I'm just scared. It was like pulling teeth just to get you to tell me your number. What am I going to do when you can't put your socks in the hamper?"

"Since when don't I put my socks in the hamper?" he quirked an eyebrow.

"I don't know, it was just a metaphor or something."

"Sook, there are no guarantees in relationships. Shit happens all the time. I can't promise you that we'll be together forever. I wish I could, but..." he trailed off. "You said you trust me. If that's true, then you don't have anything to worry about."

"How can you say 'if' that's true?"

"Because today it hasn't really felt like you do."

"I do trust you. I just felt like you didn't trust me."

"I trust you," he said.

"But you didn't trust me not to judge you?"

"I should tell you things when I want to, Sookie, and not because you demand to know them. I'm not like you when it comes to sharing things, but it doesn't mean that I don't trust you."

"But that wasn't something you'd just decide to tell me one day out of the blue. It's something that I felt like you were hiding from me."

"You never told me your number either," he pointed out. "But I never asked because to me it doesn't matter."

"I wouldn't have cared if your number was one or one hundred. I just wanted to know that you weren't ashamed of it."

"I'm not," he shrugged.

"Did I just ruin everything? Do you want to know my number?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because it doesn't matter."

"I feel like an asshole now."

"You're not an asshole."

"Yes I am," I said, and started undressing.

"No, you're not."

"How am I not an asshole?" I asked. Once I was naked, I headed for the bathroom so I could shower.

"Would it make you feel better if I called you an asshole?" he asked without following me.

"It would make me feel better if you still loved me," I told him from the doorway.

"Of course I still love you," he said.

"Good, because I still love you too."

"I'm sorry I said I liked you better when you were quiet," he said, and started walking toward me.

"It's okay. I was acting like a child."

"Are we done being idiots now?" he asked when he was standing in front of me.

"I hope so," I said, and put my hands on his chest.

"Do you want me to go home so you can get some sleep?" he offered, but I knew by the look in his eyes he didn't want to leave.

"I don't want you to go. I want you to stay. Maybe take a shower with me. Maybe have some make-up sex with me. You could hold my hair in the morning when I have a hangover."

"I could do all those things," he said, staring at my lips.

"Could you maybe kiss me too?"

"Yeah," he said, and leaned in most of the way, but made me close the distance.

I pressed my lips against his, and moaned when his arms wrapped around me and lifted me up so I could wrap my legs around his waist.

When I pulled back from the kiss, I said, "Just so you know, I would tell you mine anytime you wanted to know. So if you ever find you want to, just ask."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, and then kissed me again.

"Would you like to shower first, or have sex first? Or have sex in the shower?" I asked. "For all of these options, you're overdressed."

"You pick," he said, and set me down on the vanity so I could pull off his t-shirt.

"I think this spot is perfect," I smiled as I tossed his shirt to the side, and then my hands went to his belt buckle.

He leaned in to kiss my neck and after spending a moment on that spot that made my eyes roll into the back of my head he whispered, "Want to hear a secret?"

"I'd love to hear a secret."

"When we were arguing in the bar earlier I seriously considered dragging you into the bathroom," he told me.

"For what?"

He nibbled on my ear for a moment and then whispered, "So I could fuck you against the wall."

I groaned, and then pulled back to look him in the eyes. "Hate sex? We've never done that."

"Maybe next time," he said.

"I don't want to fight like that again," I said.

"I don't either, but I think it's inevitable," he kissed me again.

"What else could we possibly fight about that would be that bad?" I asked when his kisses moved down my neck again.

"I don't know," he said between kisses, and then straightened up to look me in my eyes. "Let's not worry about that right now."

"You're right. We need to worry about why your pants are still on," I smiled.

"Because you keep distracting me," he said as his hands covered my chest.

"I'm sorry, I'm still a little drunk," I giggled. "You know, you're the best I've ever had. I want you to know that. Your cock is perfect for me."

"Noted," he said, and then kicked his jeans off. "Now stop distracting me."

"But is my happy place perfect for you?" I asked him teasingly.

He reached down and touched said place.

"Absolutely," he said, and silenced me with a kiss before I could say anything else.

Eventually though, he had to move his mouth to other happy areas, and I started talking again.

"Good, because-"

"Woman, so help me God..." he cut me off.

"I'm talkative when I have green beer," I shrugged.

"Then I'll just have to find a way to keep that mouth of yours occupied," he smirked.

"Blowjob! Yes!" I said, and hopped off the counter.

He caught my lips in a kiss and I pushed him back against the wall. I reached between us to start stroking him. Eric's hands landed on my chest and started to knead my breasts. When I needed to breathe I pulled away from the kiss and moved my lips down his chest, pausing to playfully bite his nipples, and then scraped my teeth along his abs before licking my way past his navel to his happy place.

My mouth took over for my hands, and I looked up in time to see his eyes roll back into his head a little. There was a thud when his head hit the wall behind him, and a moment later his hand was in my hair, guiding me when I started to bob. My tongue flicked against the head of his cock, and my fingernails trailed lightly up and down his thighs.

"Touch yourself, Sookie," he said in that gravelly sex voice of his. "Make yourself nice and wet for me."

I moaned around his length but then brought my hand down to do as he asked. My moans continued while I rubbed my clit and occasionally let a finger slide inside me. When he was close, he gently pulled my head away and helped me up. Eric lifted me easily and set me on the edge of the counter. My legs wrapped around his hips to pull him closer, and his lips crashed down on mine.

"I love kissing you," I said between kisses, and then felt the head of his cock rubbing slow circles around my clit. "Mmm… Eric… feels good."

He adjusted his cocked and pressed into me so that just the tip was in, and I moaned again, wanting more but wanting to savor it, too. He grabbed a handful of my hair so I had to look up at him. The action was rough, but the expression on his face was nothing but gentle and I could see in his eyes that he loved me.

Eric looked like he wanted to say something, and even opened his mouth but whatever words he had been planning to use seemed to abandon him. Instead he leaned in and kissed me in a way that I couldn't remember him ever kissing me before, and our tongues were still battling when he thrust the rest of the way into me. I moaned into his mouth as he started to pull out, and moaned against when he thrust back in just as quickly as he had the first time.

"More," I said against his lips, and he was all too willing to give me what I wanted.

He didn't go too hard or too fast. In fact, he found the perfect rhythm and between his cock stroking me perfectly, his mouth on my nipples and his thumb on my clit I came pretty quickly. He followed right behind me, his last few thrusts a little faster and harder than the others.

"I love the way that feels," I said when he released inside me.

"Fuck, me too," he grinned lazily against my chest, kissed my nipple one more time before standing upright.

"It's very messy though," I smiled.

"Good thing you're showering."

"So are you."

"Am I?" he smirked at me, and then moved over to start the shower.

"You just got messy too, you know."

"Yeah, but the cleanup is much easier for me," he pointed out.

"Which is ridiculous," I rolled my eyes, and hopped off the counter. "Guys always get it easy."

"You make due," he smiled. "Besides, I seem to recall it being your idea we give up the condoms."

"Yes, it was," I said. "And I do believe it was a good idea that you really, really enjoy."

"I do. Very much," he agreed, and then stepped into the tub.

I stepped in after him, and pinched his ass.

He smiled over his shoulder at me and asked, "So how was the rest of the party?"

"Shitty for me, but I think Amelia had fun. She told Tray she loves him."

"Good for her," he said. "I bet you're almost as thrilled as Tray."

"I'm not sure you can call it thrilled. He was happy, but it's obviously very bittersweet. Rasul was a bit bothered."

"I'm sure he was."

"Tray and Amelia left together though."

"Good for them," he shrugged.

"I'm sorry if you felt like I was going to judge you," I blurted out.

"It's okay," he said, and handed me the soap.

"It's never okay for that to happen."

"I'm not mad at you, Sookie," he assured me. "It's really okay."

"It was unfair of me to even wonder," I said. "I've just been thrown off all day."

"There's nothing wrong with being curious, Sookie."

"But you've never been curious. It just makes me feel so petty."

"I think it's only petty if you feel like you're in competition with anyone from my past. Obviously if things worked with those people we would still be together, but we're not and there are reasons for it. I'm here with you because it's where I want to be. You're the only one that matters," he told me.

"I know that, and I've never been jealous of women from your past. I'm not that kind of girl. But there's something about you that throws me off. Every other guy I've been in a relationship with has been open about his past, and it's never been a big deal. I think your reluctance to talk about it made me paranoid that you were hiding something awful."

"So what else do you want to know?" he asked me.

"Are you going to be disappointed in me for asking?"

"No. I'm in a chatty mood," he gave me a cheesy smile.

"Okay... How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

"Eighteen," he said.

"Was it a one time thing, or were you in a relationship?"

"I was in a relationship. It was the girl I started dating toward the end of senior year. We broke up before we went off to college since we were going totally different ways."

"And?" I asked. "How was it?"

"Awkward," he said with a smile. "But not entirely awful."

"So you don't have any hang-ups over it," I said. "More than I can say for mine. Though maybe it's different for girls."

"Nope, no hang-ups," he said. "No regrets, no unrequited love. Was your first time really that awful?"

"I was jack-rabbited," I said.

"What does that even mean?" he looked at me curiously.

"It means he didn't go slow, and it was immediately hard and fast, and painful as fuck. I was afraid of sex for two years after that."

"Ouch," he grimaced. "That... that's just not cool. I mean, yeah, it's not easy to take it slow because it feels pretty fucking awesome, but come on..."

"The really fucked up part is that he wasn't a virgin."

"That is fucked up," he agreed.

"My next time was better though."

"It doesn't sound like it could get any worse."

"It couldn't. But I think I've now experienced the best sex there is," I smiled.

"Oh yeah? I thought the mailman looked really happy the other day," he teased.

"Shit, you weren't supposed to find out about that," I laughed. "You just weren't getting the job done."

"Then maybe you should give me some pointers," he suggested and let his fingertips trail from the side of my neck to my collarbone.

"I'm not sure you need any," I smiled. "And that brings me to my other question."

"Fire away."

"How did you get so goddamn skilled?"

"Practice, I guess," he shrugged with a smile.

"But you've only been with a few women. Oh god you didn't buy one of those sex dolls, did you?"

"No," he laughed. "The uh, the other woman I was with was a few years older than me and it was a very educational relationship."

"So the older woman myth is very real, huh?"

"Myths usually reach that status for a reason, don't they?"

"I suppose they do," I smiled. "So how long ago was that?"

"I was still in college at that point, so five years ago? We stopped seeing each other shortly after I graduated."

"Whoa."

"What?"

"You went four years without sex?"

"Is that so crazy?"

"In this day and age, it makes you a unicorn."

He burst out laughing and said, "Well, I wish I could say it was for some deep, spiritual reason but really I just got way too caught up in my work and I just didn't have time for it. Not to mention I've never really seen the appeal to the fuck buddy dynamic so I figured my time was better spent on my career. When the right girl came along I'd know it. I just didn't expect to find her at a St. Patrick's Day parade with one of those goofy shamrock headbands on her head."

"You loved that headband," I smiled. "And you're not alone in your unicorn status. I was one once too. I didn't have sex until I was twenty-one."

"I don't see anything wrong with waiting for it," he said, and then switched places with me so I could rinse myself off. "There are other ways to fill your time, not that I don't want to be naked around you every chance I get."

"You're the first person I've ever felt that with," I smiled.

"Same here," he smiled back at me.

"So are we still okay even though I just pried into your sexual history?"

"We're fine, Sookie," he leaned down and kissed me. "I don't mind you asking me questions. I just don't want to feel like I'm being bullied into answering them."

"I didn't mean to make you feel bullied."

"It's okay. It's over and done with."

"I love you for being so forgiving."

"I don't like holding grudges. You apologized so I'm not going to hold it over your head. And I love you too."

"Can we have more make-up sex in the morning?" I asked.

"Yes we can," he nodded. "In fact, we can have some when we get out of the shower if you want."

"But then I'll need another shower."

"Not necessarily," he smirked.

"Then by all means..." I grinned.

* * *

**Does anyone hate Sookie a little less?  
**


	15. Playing

**NSFW warning and a TISSUE warning!**

* * *

Chapter 14 - Playing

**EPOV**

I was sitting at my desk the week after St. Patrick's Day. Sookie and I were debating over where we wanted to live. I was partial to my apartment but I wasn't necessarily opposed to finding a new place that would be ours and not hers or mine. Finding apartments in the city could be a hassle, though, and since I still had five months on my lease and Sookie had four on hers we had time to figure it out.

The phone on my desk buzzed and then the receptionist said, "Mr. Northman, there's an Amelia Broadway here to see you."

Amelia? What was she doing at my office?

"Send her back," I said, and then shrunk down the windows of the things I had been working on. I got up and went to my office door in time to see Amelia walking along behind the receptionist who was guiding her back. "Thank you, Brittany."

The receptionist nodded and then headed back to her post at the front of the office.

"I'm not interrupting anything here, am I?" Amelia asked with a weak smile.

For the first time that I could ever remember, Amelia looked tired. There were dark circles under her eyes and I didn't see the usual perkiness I had come to associate with her. I liked Amelia. I liked that Sookie had someone she was so close to nearby, and I worried about how Sookie was going to handle the loss of a friend she'd had for so long.

"Not at all. What can I do for you?" I asked, and ushered her into my office. "Can I get you something to drink? Water, tea, coffee..."

"No, thanks, I'm good," Amelia smiled and sat down in one of the chairs in front of my desk.

I closed the office door and then went around to sit behind my desk. Amelia shrugged out of her jacket and there was a large bruise on the inside of her arm that looked pretty painful. I didn't ask about it, though, since I figured the little red dot toward the center of it had something to do with a medication she might be on.

"So, this is where you spend forty hours a week, huh?" Amelia looked around, taking in the little things I'd added to my space to give it a little personality.

"More like fifty or fifty-five, but yeah," I smiled at her.

"I love that Snoopy bobblehead," she pointed to the little figurine that was on a shelf to her right.

"Thanks," I grinned. "That was a gift from my sister. We always get each other gag gifts for our birthdays."

"That's cool. I didn't know you have a sister," Amelia sat back.

"She's my half-sister, technically. We have different fathers, and Pam is only thirteen," I explained.

"So she lives with your Mom in California then?" Amelia asked and I nodded.

There was a moment of silence while Amelia continued to look around and maybe gather her thoughts. Judging by the way her eyes were moving, almost like they were weighted down, I was guessing whatever she had come to talk to me about was pretty serious.

"So, Sookie tells me that you two are going to live together," Amelia said with another weak smile that wasn't anything like what I was used to.

"That's the plan, although we haven't really made any decisions about it other than we want to," I told her. "And I heard you told Tray you love him."

Amelia's smile got a little bigger and she said, "Don't tell Sookie this, but she was right. Freezing Tray out was more selfish than telling him the truth."

"Honestly, it's one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't situations," I said and Amelia nodded.

"I just started thinking that if I was in Tray's shoes I would rather know that he was in love with me than always wonder about it. He's been a good friend, and he deserves better than what I can give him, but as long as I'm here and able, I'm going to give him the best I can," Amelia said with determination.

"That's great, Amelia," I said sincerely.

"Yeah," she said as her eyes started to fill with tears. "I told myself I wasn't going to get sad and weepy, but..."

"It's okay," I reached over and handed her a box of tissues from the corner of my desk.

She took the box and rested it in her lap. After taking a deep breath she said, "I'm here to talk to you about Sookie. Lately I've been dreaming about my mother a lot. Well, more accurately, in my dreams I'm with my mother. And it's not like I'm a little girl in these dreams either. I read somewhere that if a dying person starts dreaming of someone in their life they lost, it's a sign. I don't know if it's true or not, but I'm starting to think that maybe it means the end is coming for me. I've been having trouble keeping my balance lately and I've been getting these awful headaches... I knew this was coming, but it's still... I'm not ready to die yet."

I nodded and kept quiet. It wasn't like I could tell her I understood how she felt since I had no idea. If I died it was going to come as a big shock to everyone since I wasn't terminally ill. Most people in their twenties aren't thinking about dying. It's always tragic and awful, and Amelia's case was no different.

"But I've also come to find peace about certain things. I've done a lot of reading about spirituality in the last couple of years and I've tried really hard to come to terms with the fact that there is nothing I can do about what's happening to me. All of this is completely out of my hands, and while I've never been much of a control freak, I guess finding out that you're dying before you turn thirty will throw your life into complete chaos.

"The reason I'm here," she took another deep breath. "Is because I need for you to promise me that you'll take care of Sookie for me. I know you can't promise me that you'll be with her for the rest of her life, but for a little while, I need to know that she's going to have someone to lean on because I know she's going to need it. She's the kind who will put on the bravest face you've ever seen, but then completely fall apart the second she's on her own and I don't want her to be lonely.

"I've drawn up my funeral plans already. Tray knows all about it since he went with me to do that stuff. I thought about taking Sookie, but I just... I couldn't do that to her. I couldn't ask her to help me pick out flowers or a coffin or readings or music... Just getting up in front of a crowd to talk about me is going to be hard enough for her, but I know she'll do it because she loves me. She's the closest thing I've ever had to a sister, and I am going to miss the shit out of her when I...

"I told her I would still be here for the big things in her life, and I fully believe that I will be. I'll be there when she gets engaged, married, buys a house, gets a promotion, has a baby, or if it's with you, probably like seven," Amelia said and finally both of us laughed.

"Seven, huh?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"Enough for a baseball team," she winked at me, and I was surprised to hear her say that. "Anyway, I'm leaving everything I have to her. I don't know what she's told you about my parents. My father owns a pretty significant percentage of New Orleans and my mother was from old money. She left everything to me when she passed away. There is a considerable sum of money sitting in a trust fund, and I'm signing it all over to Sookie. My apartment, car, all of my assets will be hers and the only thing I know about what you do as far as work is concerned is that you handle money."

"I do," I nodded. I was a financial planner, and a pretty damn good one at that.

"I was hoping that you could help me get some other funds set up," Amelia told me. "I know I could probably go through my attorney or something to deal with that but I don't want my father to somehow get wind of it. I don't want him to get my mother's money. I love my father, but that money wasn't ever supposed to be his. My mother left it to me to do with as I pleased. I've lived a very good life because of it, and since I don't have any children to pass it on to, I want to give it to the only family I have, and that's Sookie."

"I can help you with that, Amelia," I told her.

"Good," she sighed with relief. "And Eric?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell Sookie I was here today, okay? I don't want her to try and talk me out of any of this," Amelia told me.

"You have my word," I promised her.

"Then let's get to work," she smiled at me, and set aside the box of Kleenex.

**oOoOoOo**

By the time I got home that night it was almost eight. Amelia and I had finished with all the necessary paperwork around six, but she'd invited me out to dinner as a way of thanking me for my help. I didn't mind it at all, and it was actually nice to hang out with Amelia. When she was starting to look full on exhausted, I put her in a cab and sent her to Tray's place so she'd have someone to take care of her, or at least help her inside for the night.

I dropped my briefcase by the door, kicked off my shoes and loosened my tie. It had been a long ass day. The TV was on in the living room so I went that way to find Sookie stretched out on the couch with her feet propped up along the back of it.

"Hey you," I smiled at her.

"Hey yourself," she smiled up at me. "You look tired. Long day?"

"Yeah," I said, and went over to sit at the other end of the couch. "How was your day?"

"I got a few things done, and started packing some stuff up at my place," she said as she sat up. "Just things I don't use that often."

"Sounds like a productive day," I smiled at her and tried not to yawn.

"It was," she nodded. "You look like you could use a massage."

"I probably could," I nodded.

"Are you hungry? I ordered Chinese earlier and there's lots leftover."

"No, thanks, I'm stuffed. I got home so late because I had dinner with a client," I told her, and that wasn't entirely a lie since Amelia and I had been doing business stuff beforehand.

"Gotcha. I probably should have called before I ordered so much then. How about we just get in our pajamas and watch some TV, then pass out? I'll even rub your shoulders."

"I like this plan," I said, and forced myself to get up and walk back to the bedroom to change clothes.

Sookie followed, and even though she was already wearing lounge pants and a tank top, she removed all of it in favor of wearing one of my t-shirts.

"Hope you don't mind if I add sexing you at some point to the plan," she said. "You don't even have to do anything, I'm just really horny today for some reason."

"The suit doesn't help, does it?" I smirked over my shoulder as I shrugged out of my jacket.

"Nope," she smiled. "You look entirely too good suited up."

"Then maybe I should leave it on," I wiggled my eyebrows.

"If you do that, I will probably be attacking you in the next minute or so. And you can't take it off during."

"I can handle that."

"Well then," she smiled, and started towards me. "Assume the position."

"Which position is that?" I chuckled.

"I'll give you a hint..." she said, and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I'm on all fours."

"So then I guess the question is heads or tails?" I slapped her ass.

"Heads if I keep with my promise that you don't have to do anything. Tails if you want to fulfill a fantasy of mine," she smirked.

"Tails it is then. So what happens in this fantasy of yours?" I asked her.

"You fuck me silly in your fancy executive suit," she said. "That's really all there is to it. It only gets better if we're in your actual office and I'm bent over your desk."

"Hmmm... well, you know there's the desk in the spare bedroom," I reminded her.

"Take me there," she winked, and took my hand.

I let her pull me along to the spare bedroom and after she pulled the chair out, she pushed me so I'd sit down in it.

"Not that I have a problem with you wearing my t-shirts, but this would be even hotter if you were dressed up like a naughty secretary," I smirked.

"But then I'd wonder if you were having fantasies about boning your secretary."

"Not at all. Besides, I don't have a secretary," I told her.

"You might someday," she smiled. "I could go put on some sexy lingerie and a trench coat."

"If you'd like."

"Are you sure you have the energy for me in lingerie?"

"You would be amazed the sort of reaction I may have to you in lingerie," I grinned at her.

"It's settled then," she said, and started for the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't move."

"I'll be waiting," I promised her, and stayed right where she left me. I was tired, but not so tired that I wasn't willing to sex up my girlfriend. I'd be insane to turn that down, especially since she was in the process of going to get all dressed up for it.

About five minutes later there was a knock on the door, which she'd shut behind her.

"Come in, Miss Stackhouse," I said, figuring there was more than likely a bit of role playing involved in her fantasy.

She opened the door, and walked in wearing a trench coat and heels.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Northman," she said. "I left work without finishing up those memos, and when I realized it I came straight back."

"I'm glad you did," I smirked at her. "I would hate to have to write you up."

"I never want to disappoint you, sir," she said. "I even thought of a way to apologize."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I hope you don't find this too forward of me," she said, and untied the coat. "But I've always found you... so attractive."

"Are you flirting with me, Miss Stackhouse?"

"I hope that's okay," she said, and bit her lip. "No one has to know about this."

"Close the door, Miss Stackhouse."

"Yes, sir," she said, and shut the door behind her. Then she walked in front of my desk and shrugged off the trench coat.

I tried not to react, but I knew she could see it all in my eyes. She blushed a bit, but she didn't get fidgety or nervous.

I cleared my throat and asked, "Were you wearing this all day, Miss Stackhouse?"

"Uh huh," she nodded. "I've always wanted to show it to you, but I was afraid you wouldn't like it."

"Turn around for me, Miss Stackhouse," I said, spinning a finger as I spoke.

She smiled, and slowly turned. The black boy shorts alone were instant wood material.

"Was this your way of apologizing?" I asked her once she was facing me again.

"This is just the beginning of the apology."

"What else did you have in mind?"

"May I come around," she asked, gesturing at the desk.

"You may," I said, and watched her walk around my desk. She put a little extra sway in her hips as she did.

She took a seat on top of the desk, and crossed her legs.

"You see, Mr. Northman. All day long I have these fantasies, about you. I wonder what it's like to kiss you, or to suck your cock. I wonder if you bending me over this desk and fucking me would be as great in reality as it is in my head."

"And you think that asking me to fuck you on my desk is a good way of apologizing?" I asked her with a lifted eyebrow.

"No, I think starting off with an amazing blowjob is a good way of apologizing. I was just hoping that you'd fuck me as a thank you."

"Well then, Miss Stackhouse," I unbuttoned my pants for her. "Let's see how sorry you really are."

"Yes, sir," she smirked, and got on her knees.

Her big blue eyes looked up into mine, and she was nibbling on that poor bottom lip of hers while she lowered my fly and reached into my pants to pull my cock out. I was already hard and more than ready to fuck her, but I was content to let her have her way. This was her fantasy after all, and an infinitely better end to my day than coming home to an empty apartment.

"I had no idea you'd be so big," she said with wide eyes, even though we both knew she had no problem taking everything I had to give her and then some. She wrapped her hand around my cock and started stroking slowly.

"Put your hand in your panties, Miss Stackhouse. Touch yourself while you suck me off," I told her, and I heard her whimper a little while she reached down and did as she was told.

"I'm already so wet, Mr. Northman," she said, and then took me into her mouth.

"I'm going to bend you over my desk and fuck you hard," I told her and she whimpered again. "Are you a dirty girl, Miss Stackhouse?"

I swear I saw her eyes glaze over a little bit when I asked her that.

She pulled back and kept stroking me as she said, "I'm a very dirty, bad girl, Mr. Northman. You may even have to spank me."

"We'll see," I smirked at her, and her head lowered again.

From the very beginning Sookie had been pretty fucking awesome at giving head, and in the last year she had only gotten better. She knew the right amount of pressure, how fast to go and how to make me squirm in my seat when she wanted me to. At the moment, however, she was pretty set on sucking my brain out through my cock. She moaned while she sucked, and I was sure it had a little something to do with the hand in her panties.

I had one hand holding her hair back from her face so I could see her eyes while she sucked me off, and the other was gripping the arm of the chair so hard my knuckles were white. Sookie went with it when my hips started to thrust up a little. I knew better than to choke her, but she didn't mind a little thrusting. It was the grazing of her hand against my balls that threw me over the edge, and her tongue was swirling around the head of my cock when I came.

She swallowed everything, never stopping the movement of her hand in her panties. I took a moment to compose myself while she licked me clean, and then she took her hand out of her panties.

"Did I tell you to stop touching yourself, Miss Stackhouse?" I asked her.

"No, sir," she pouted.

"Put it back," I told her, and scooted my chair back a little.

She did as I asked, and moaned when her fingers started moving again.

"Now don't stop until I tell you to," I told her.

"Yes, Mr. Northman," she nodded, and closed her eyes.

"Eyes open, Miss Stackhouse."

Her eyes opened and she looked into mine. "Is there anything you want to see me do?"

"Just keep doing what you're doing," I said, knowing that when I pulled the plug on her, she was going to be pissed.

One hand kept moving in her panties, and the other went up to her breasts to pinch her nipples through the lace of her bra. She moaned and panted, and I could tell she was getting close when her breathing picked up speed.

"I'm going to come, Mr. Northman," she said.

"Stop," I said suddenly.

"Wha... what?" she asked, but her hands stopped moving. "Why?"

"Because I said so. Stand up, Miss Stackhouse. Turn toward my desk and put your palms down on top of it."

She pouted a little, but then she did as I asked. "Like this?"

"Very good, Miss Stackhouse," I said as I stood up.

"I must admit, sir, I'm feeling a little upset that you've gotten to come and I haven't," she said.

I moved to stand behind her and put my hands on her hips. I rubbed myself against her and my hands moved up her sides, and around to her chest to pull down the cups of her bra. I got close to her ear and whispered, "You'll get your chance."

"Good."

Watching her touch herself had me semi-hard again already, and I knew she could feel that when I rubbed against her tight, round ass. I pulled her hips away from the desk and tapped her inner thigh to get her to spread her legs a little wider. I stroked her over her panties and her breath caught.

"You're very wet, Miss Stackhouse. I bet if I tore off these pretty panties right now I could very easily slide my cock into you. Would you like that?" I asked her.

"But then I wouldn't have panties to wear home," she said.

"Dirty girls don't need panties to wear home," I said as my fingers slipped into them.

"Then you should rip them off," she said, then moaned as my fingers brushed against her clit.

Since I liked the idea of keeping her guessing and a little disoriented, I kept rubbing her clit with one hand and yanked her panties down with the other. She looked over her shoulder at me. Her hips started to rock a little to try to get more friction, but instead I drew my fingers back and pressed just the tips of two of them into her opening. She boldly picked up her hand to try and push my hand closer to her pussy, and she was punished with a hard slap on her ass.

"Hands on the desk, Miss Stackhouse," I told her.

"Sorry, Mr. Northman," she said, and put her hand back on the desk.

"You will be," I said, and took my hand away from her pussy, which made her whimper. I knew she wanted to come.

With her arms stretched to reach the desk she had no choice but to bend forward. My hand stroked her backside for a few moments before I really started her spanking. She moaned at first, especially since I would only give her about five swats before pausing to tease her pussy a little bit. Then I would start her spanking again, giving her another five swats before I slid two of my fingers into her.

"Mmmm… that feels so good, sir," she moaned while I stroked her.

"I think the spanking has made you wetter, Miss Stackhouse," I said, and withdrew my fingers. "You really are a naughty, dirty girl, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir," she whimpered.

"And naughty girls need to be punished," I said, and started spanking her again.

"Punish me, sir," she said in a breathy voice.

I was pretty sure she would come just from the spanking if I did it right, but I had no intention of letting her come just yet. When her ass was a nice shade of pink and she was about to come a second time I pulled my fingers out of her pussy, and surprised her by replacing them with my cock. I thrust into her all at once, until I felt the heat of her freshly spanked ass pressing against me.

She had said the gist of the fantasy was that I fuck her silly while wearing a suit, so that was exactly what I did. I pounded into her from behind, holding onto her hips firmly, and when she warned me that she was going to come the first time I only fucked her harder. Her hands slapped at the desk while her pussy clenched around my cock. She screamed with her release, but I didn't stop there.

Instead, knowing how her knees tended to give out on her after a big orgasm, I pulled out of her and turned her around. I lifted her and set Sookie at the edge of my desk, and then sat in my chair. When I scooted closer to her I put her legs up over my shoulders and then attacked her with my mouth. Her hands were in my hair immediately, and I licked, sucked and fingered her to a second orgasm that may have resulted in her pulling in some of my hair out.

I stood again and pushed her back so she was lying down, and hooked her legs over my elbows before driving into her again. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and while I thrust into her, slow and deep, I leaned down and teased her nipples, licking sucking and biting on them a little bit before trailing kisses up to her jaw. She turned her head and kissed me like it was the first time she had ever kissed me. Her arms wrapped around my neck and the closer I got to coming, the faster my hips moved.

Hers started to rise up off the desk to meet my thrusts, and when she was close that time I reached between us to help her along. It took everything I had not to lose it right then and there, but I had another idea in mind. I pulled out of her and unlocked her arms from around my neck.

"Why'd you stop?" she asked weakly.

"Oh I'm not finished yet," I said, standing up straight. "Get back on your knees, Sookie."

I had to help her off the desk, but she had no problem getting back on her knees in front of me. She opened her mouth and licked the underside of my cock before closing her lips around the head. Almost immediately her cheeks hollowed, and she grabbed my hips for some leverage while she sucked. It didn't take long for me to get right back to where I was before I had pulled out of her, and my hands were in her hair when I felt my balls tighten.

"I'm gonna come, Miss Stackhouse," I warned her, and she sucked a little harder, her hand stroking a little faster until I lost any little bit of control I had left, and came hard with a roar.

She kept stroking me through my orgasm, and licked me clean before standing up again.

"How's that for an apology, Mr. Northman?"

"You're forgiven, Miss Stackhouse," I said, still breathing heavy.

"May I kiss you, sir?"

"You may."

She stretched up on her toes and pressed her lips against mine.

"I'm afraid we have a problem, Miss Stackhouse," I said when she pulled away.

"What is it?"

"My girlfriend was afraid I'd fantasize about my secretary... I think she might have been right about that," I winked at her.

"You have a girlfriend?"

"I do," I nodded. "And when I tell her what I've done with you, I suspect she may want to punish me for it."

"I hope it won't be anything too awful. It's not like you love me or anything."

"I guess I'll find out," I kissed her forehead. "You should go home, Miss Stackhouse. The memos can wait until morning."

"Thank you for making my fantasies come true, Mr. Northman," she said, and went around the desk to pull her trench coat back on.

"You're welcome, Miss Stackhouse," I said, and watched her walk to the door. "Oh, and Miss Stackhouse?"

"Yes?"

"Don't wear panties tomorrow," I winked at her.

"Yes, sir," she smiled, and left the room.

I laughed quietly to myself for a moment and gave Sookie a few minutes before leaving the spare bedroom to head back to my bedroom. She wasn't there.

"Sook?" I called out.

"Bathroom," she said.

I went to stand in the doorway and asked, "Is that what you had in mind?"

"That was so much better than what I had in mind," she smiled at me. "I've never role played before."

"Me either," I admitted. "Of course, you realized you were right to be nervous about me being attracted to my secretary. I did some very dirty things to her."

"Things you deserve a spanking for," she giggled. "And if you ever end up with a secretary and do those things with her, I'll cut your dick off."

I knew she was serious, too.

"How about I promise that as long as I have control over who gets hired for the job, I'll only go with little old grandmothers?" I suggested.

"That will be just fine. As long as you don't have a granny fetish."

"No," I cringed. "And thanks for killing any wood I may have gotten for the rest of the night."

"Aww, I'm sure I could bring it back," she smiled, and wrapped her arms around me. "But you did wear me out."

"You poor thing," I leaned down and kissed her.

"You also made me hungry again, and I'm suddenly really happy about all the leftover Chinese."

"Me too. Are there egg rolls?" he asked.

"There's like six left," she smiled. "Time to veg out?"

"As soon as you tell me who the army was you were planning on feeding," I kissed her head, and then started to unbutton my shirt.

"I was hungry," she shrugged. "And you always eat a ton of it when we order Chinese."

"True," I agreed with a laugh. "But six egg rolls is a lot."

"I ordered eight," she said. "Chinese is always still awesome leftover."

"Agreed," I said as I pulled off my shirt, and then kicked off my pants. "You go warm up your leftovers and I'll come find you in a minute."

"Okay," she said, and gave me a peck on the cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too," I said, and then washed up a little bit before going into the bedroom to put on a pair of boxers.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	16. Goodbye

**Major tissue warning.  
**

* * *

Chapter 15 - Goodbye

**SPOV**

It was almost a year after Amelia had told me she was sick when I got the call I'd been dreading. It was two o'clock in the morning, and my phone rang. I answered groggily, thinking it was a dream, but it was unfortunately very, very real.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Sook, it's Tray," he said. "I'm sorry to call and wake you up like this, but Amelia collapsed a little while ago. She's been admitted to Loyola. She's in intensive care."

I sat up straight and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Eric stirred a little beside me.

"Is this it?" I asked him.

"She hasn't regained consciousness," Tray said. "Her doctors aren't optimistic."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," I told him, and hung up the phone.

"What's going on?" Eric rubbed his eyes behind me.

"I have to go to the hospital," I said, and got up so I could get dressed. "Amelia collapsed."

"Shit," Eric stretched, and then sat up. "Which hospital is she at?"

"Loyola."

"Okay." He got out of bed, and went to the dresser to grab a pair of jogging pants.

"No, sweetie, go back to bed. You don't have to go with me."

"Yes I do," he pulled me into a hug. "She's my friend too."

My hands were shaking as I wrapped my arms around him. "I'm so scared."

"I know," he held me tightly.

"Let's get going," I said after a moment, and we both put our shoes on.

"Oh, hang on a second," he said, and then jogged toward the back of the apartment. When he came back he had a thick manila envelope in his hand.

"What is that?"

"It's something for Amelia," he said. "She asked me to bring this to the hospital when the time came."

I was curious as to what that was about, but my focus was on getting to Amelia.

"Okay," I said. "Then let's take it to her."

"You go down and get a cab, and I'll lock up," he said as he opened the door.

I nodded, and headed downstairs. Thankfully there was an empty cab driving up the street so I didn't have to call a company. I stopped it, and got in, but left the door open for Eric, who came a minute later. I immediately reached over and held his hand.

"Loyola Hospital," Eric said to the driver as he shut the door, and lifted my hand to kiss the back of it.

We didn't talk at all on the way there, and when we went in I was in the process of asking for Amelia's information when Tray came up to us. I immediately wrapped my arms around him.

"Any change?" I asked.

"She's awake, but disoriented. She wanted to go home, but I talked her into staying the night just to let the doctors do some bloodwork and observe her a little," he said. "Come on, I'll show you where her room is. Hey, Eric," he waved.

"Hey," Eric said, and when I let go of Tray he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

We all went to the ICU and Tray led us to the room where Ameila was. My heart stopped when I saw her laying there with her eyes closed, but then Tray went up and took her hand, and she opened them.

"Why do you look like somebody died?" Amelia asked with a smile.

"Hey Ames," I smiled back at her. "Mind if we keep you company?"

"I suppose not. This guy," she jerked her thumb at Tray, "Won't let me go home."

"I'm sure he has the best of intentions," I said as I pulled up the other chair to her bed and took her hand.

"Hey, Eric," she smiled at him.

"Hey," he smiled back. "Always with the drama, huh?"

Amelia laughed and said, "Well, I figured I might as well go out with a bang. Or maybe that was a thud."

"I'm going to go get some coffee," Tray said, looking troubled. "Can I get anyone anything?"

"A coffee would be good," I said.

"I'm fine," Eric said.

"Amelia?" Tray asked.

"Mmm... I would love a peanut butter cup," she said.

"You got it," he said, and then left the room.

"I brought the stuff," Eric said, holding up the envelope he'd brought along.

"Give it to Sookie," she said, and Eric handed me the envelope.

"Me? What is this?" I asked, looking back and forth between them.

"Open it," Amelia said.

I opened the envelope and pulled out a stack of papers. I was confused at first, but as I flipped through them it became clear what they were.

"No," I said, and pushed the papers back at Eric. "Amelia, no."

"Sookie, I'm not going to change my mind. Eric helped me get it all sorted out and-"

"I can't take all of that, Ames," I told her. "And Eric? How long have you known about this?"

"Remember that night I got home late and you ordered Chinese?" he asked. "I told you I had dinner with a client that night. That client was Amelia."

"You two suck," I said. "Why me, Ames?"

"Because you're my sister," she said as if I should have known that.

"I know, sweetie, but I wouldn't even know what to do with it."

"You'll figure something out," she smiled. "Buy a big house in the suburbs so your kids will have a yard to run around in like we did when we were little. Go on vacation. Travel to all those places you've put off seeing because you couldn't afford it. Make your life beautiful for both of us."

"I'll do my best to make you proud," I said, and picked up her hand again.

"And for the love of God, don't let Copley have a penny of it," she ordered.

"I won't," I said. "Is this all pretty secure? I mean, I'm not going to end up having to get a lawyer or anything if he tries to sue me, am I?"

"I went through all the proper channels when I set that stuff up," Eric rubbed my shoulders. "Those accounts are all legit."

"And if Copley does try to come after you for the money you can contact my attorney. He'll be happy to help you," Amelia said.

"Okay," I nodded. "Now let's not think about that stuff. Just know that it'll be in good hands, okay?"

"I know," she squeezed my hand. "That's why I picked you."

I smiled and said, "So how's love with Tray?"

"Very good," she said, and after glancing at Eric he excused himself from the room to give us a few minutes alone. "I was coming back from the bathroom after some pretty awesome sex when I collapsed. I was fine one minute and the next I was in an ambulance. I don't even know what happened."

"Tray must be pretty good if he can bang you into unconsciousness," I smiled at her.

"It is pretty good," she agreed.

"How's he doing with all this?"

"He's been amazing," she told me. "He's... he's so supportive and he tries so hard to keep up a brave face for me, but I know there are times when he thinks I'm sleeping and he just sits there watching me."

"I can't say I wouldn't be a creepster if I was him too."

"I don't mind that he does, but I worry about what it's going to be like when he doesn't have to look after me anymore," she said. "The worst part of dying isn't what I might miss out on in my life, it's the guilt over the people I'm leaving behind."

"Don't feel that way," I said. "We'll all have each other to lean on. You're the one going alone."

"No, I'm not," she smiled at me, and then told me about the dreams of her mother that she'd been having.

"I should have known," I chuckled. "You always said you're a lot like your mom. There's no way she'd let you do this alone."

"It's going to be okay, Sookie," she said. "I'm ready."

"I know, and I'm telling you now that I'm not saying goodbye to you," I said. "You promised you'd haunt me, and I'm holding you to it. And if you haunt me, there's no reason to say goodbye."

"We have a deal," she let go of my hand and held up her pinky finger.

"Definitely," I said, and hooked my pinky finger with hers. "And let's face it, we're going to see each other again."

"I don't know about that. I mean, you are living in sin with Mr. Big Co-"

"Amelia!" I laughed.

"Were you exaggerating? Because that would be extremely disappointing."

"I wasn't exaggerating at all."

"Seven kids," she shook her head with a laugh.

"Why seven?"

"Ask Eric," she winked at me.

"What did he tell you?"

"That he loves you very much."

"And that he wants me to push seven moose babies out of my vagina?"

"Ask Eric," she shrugged.

Tray knocked on the door and then came in with my coffee and Amelia's peanut butter cups.

"Sook, will you give me a minute with Tray?" she asked.

"Yeah, of course," I said, and leaned down to hug and give her a kiss. "I'll be right outside."

"Give Eric a hug for me, will you?" she asked.

"Of course," I smiled, and left the room to find Eric sitting in a chair in the hall.

"Everything okay in there?" he asked, and pulled me down to sit on his lap.

I wrapped my arms around him to give him a hug. "Amelia asked me to give you that. She also said something about us having seven kids."

He laughed and said, "Yeah, that was all her idea."

"Good, because I'm not mentally prepared for that."

"Me either," he kissed my neck sweetly. "How's Amelia doing really?"

"She's prepared for this, and she's being very brave."

"And what about you?" he asked, rubbing my back.

"I'm holding it together," I said. "I have to."

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Just being here is enough."

"If you think of anything let me know," he said, and kept rubbing my back until Tray came out of Amelia's room.

"Eric, Amelia wants to talk to you," Tray said.

"Sure," he said, and I got up off his lap. "You know where to find me if you need me." Eric kissed my head and then went into Amelia's room.

"This coffee is shit," Tray said once he was sitting in a chair next to me.

"Yeah it is," I nodded. "Are you okay?"

"I'm feeling better now that my heart has stopped yo-yoing between my ears and my ass," he said.

"That sounds uncomfortable."

"It was," he laughed. "How about you? She told me she gave you the packet."

"She did. I'm holding up," I said. "At least we can all lean on each other."

"Yeah," he agreed.

"I'm really happy she got to have you, at least for a little while," I told him, and reached for his hand.

"She told me you let her have it for wanting to keep it to herself," he laughed. "But I'm glad you did. I'd like to think that she is, too."

"She is, and I did. I was so mad at her for denying you both that happiness, even if it wasn't going to be forever. And you make her so, so happy."

"I understand why she hesitated. The important thing is that it's all out in the open now. I thought about asking her to marry me, but I know she would never go for that," he confessed.

"She most definitely wouldn't have wanted to leave you a widower," I said. "And she really wouldn't have wanted to get married just because she was dying."

"Well, that's not why I would have asked her, but we both know she would assume that was it," he said. "Did she tell you what Copley said when she told him that she was giving power of attorney to someone else besides him?"

"No."

"He said her brain must really be damaged if she was going to let a bunch of bloodsuckers have control of her life," he told me. "I almost got on a plane just to go down to Louisiana, punch him in the face and fly back home."

"I'm tempted to do that right now," I said angrily. "How dare he? His only child..."

"Yeah, I know," he said. "But now you know why she's leaving everything to you."

"I'm so grateful to her for thinking of me, but she didn't need to do that."

"She trusts you to do good things," he said.

"And I will. Even if it all goes to my future kids. And I promised her Copley wouldn't get a single penny of it."

"Good. That scumbag doesn't deserve a damn thing," Tray said fiercely. "Except a punch in the neck."

"Maybe you'll still get to deliver that," I said, and patted his back.

"I hope so," Tray cracked his knuckles.

"So, Amelia says you two have good sex," I said, to break him out of his anger.

"As often as possible," he grinned.

"You're a good man, keeping her satisfied," I smiled.

"I suppose," he shrugged.

A dark cloud seemed to settle over him, but then Eric came out of Amelia's room.

"You are, Tray," I told him. "You're the last bit of normal she has."

"That's not entirely true," Tray said, and squeezed my knee.

"Amelia's getting some sleep. She told me to take you home," Eric said, looking at me.

"Well that's too bad, because I'm not going anywhere," I said.

"I know," he smiled. "And I told her that."

"Good," I said, and crossed my arms.

"I'm gonna go take a walk," Tray said as he stood up.

"Want company?" I asked him.

"Nah, I just need a few minutes," he said. "Just give me a call if anything changes."

"Will do."

Eric held a hand out to me and asked, "Wanna go sit in the waiting room? There are couches in there that are way more comfortable than these chairs."

"I'd rather stay here," I said.

"Okay," he said, and sat down beside me. He wrapped an arm around me and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"This is awful," I said. "I feel like I'm waiting on her to die, and I know that's essentially what this is."

"Just try to think good thoughts," he kissed my head.

"You know, we used to talk about how we were going to end up being these two old ladies with a bunch of dogs, living together since we'd definitely outlive our husbands."

"No cats?" he teased.

"We're dog people," I smiled.

"Not that it matters, but I'm a dog person too," he informed me.

"Good, because if you were planning to spring on me that you're a cat person, we'd have to break up."

"I'm allergic to cats," he revealed.

"Really, we're a match made in heaven."

"It would seem so," he said. "Why don't you try to get some sleep? I'll wake you if anything happens."

"Promise?"

"Of course," he said, and kissed my head again.

"I love you," I said, then made myself as comfortable as I could and closed my eyes.

"I love you too," he whispered back, and started to twirl some of my hair around his fingers.

It didn't take long for me to fall back asleep, and it felt like I'd had my eyes closed for only a few minutes when Eric was nudging me awake.

"What's happening?" I asked, jerking awake when I remembered where I was.

"They called a code in Amelia's room," he said gravely.

"What? Can we go in? Where's Tray?" I asked, and stood up.

"They're working on her. I don't think we should go in. I sent Tray a text," he said, standing up as well.

"She's all alone in there, Eric," I said, and stepped into the room.

"Miss, you have to wait outside," a nurse said when she saw me standing there.

"There is a good chance that my best friend is about to die, and I'm not letting that happen with her surrounded by strangers. I won't get in the way, just let me be in here," I said firmly.

"It's hospital policy," the nurse said. "Please wait outside."

"I don't care about your hospital policy, I'm not going anywhere," I said, and took a seat in the chair by the door.

"Sookie," Eric said.

"Miss, please don't make me call security to have you removed," the nurse threatened.

"Why can't you just go back to saving her life and act like you didn't see me?"

"Sook, come on," Eric urged, trying to get me out of the chair as the nurse reached over and grabbed the phone off the table beside Amelia's bed to call security.

"No," I said. "She's not dying alone. We were supposed to do this together."

"But if security has to come in here they might make you leave the hospital," he said. "Let's just wait outside and see what happens."

"Fine," I said, and glared at the nurse. I got up and stood right outside the door. "Is this outside enough for you?"

The nurse ignored me while Eric rubbed my shoulders to try to get me to relax.

"Where is Tray?" I asked.

"I don't know," Eric answered. "He said he was on his way back."

Just then Tray came running up and asked what was happening.

"They're working on her," I said. "But we can't go in or the evil bitch nurse will kick us out of the hospital."

"She's just doing her job, Sook," Tray said calmly. "They don't need us in the way in there."

Ten minutes later everything still seemed to be completely chaotic. Doctors were calling out orders, nurses were administering drugs, CPR was being done... there was no change. Amelia had signed a DNR after she found out she was sick, so we all knew there wouldn't be any life support for her. There would be no extraordinary measures, surgery, feeding tubes, respirators... none of that stuff. If her body wouldn't function on its own, that was it.

They worked on her for another ten minutes after that and when the doctor stopped doing chest compressions, there was that awful long beep that told us Amelia's heart had stopped.

Finally the doctor said, "That's it. I'm calling it. Time of death is 6:22."

Then the machines went silent.

I couldn't breathe. I knew it would be awful, but this was too much. I'd just watched her die, and as much as I knew I should be strong for Tray, and for Amelia, I just couldn't. I felt like the world dropped out from underneath my feet, and the next thing I knew I was falling and everything went black.

"Sookie?" I heard Eric's voice calling my name and then my eyes popped open, and Nurse Ratchett was kneeling over me waving smelling salts under my nose.

I swatted her hand away, and sat up slowly. I was in the hospital. Amelia was dead.

"Please tell me that was just a dream," I said to Eric.

"I'm sorry, honey," he said with a frown.

"Can I get you some water?" the nurse offered.

"Yeah," I said, just to get her to go away. "She was all alone."

"She wasn't. She knows you're here," Eric insisted.

"She's with her mom now," I said. "Where's Tray?"

"He went to call Copley and Rasul," he said, and when the nurse came back she handed the water to Eric to hand to me.

"Thank you," I said, and set it on the floor beside me. "Is he okay?"

"He's Tray," Eric shrugged. "He's gone into business mode for the time being."

"He must be heartbroken," I frowned. "He wanted to marry her. She would have been such a beautiful bride. Would have."

That was all it took for the dam to break.

Eric lifted me off the floor and onto his lap instead, and hugged me tightly while I cried.

"This is a million times harder than I thought it would be," I sobbed.

"I'm sorry, Sookie," he said quietly.

"I can't believe I'm never going to talk to her again."

"Sook?" Tray said from the doorway.

I got up from Eric's lap, and went to him, immediately wrapping my arms around him.

We were quiet for a minute before Tray pulled back and said, "If you want to say goodbye to her you can do it now, but they're going to be moving her in a minute."

"I don't know if I can do that," I said, and took a step back.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," he said. "I just thought you might want the chance."

"It's just... that's not her anymore. It's just her body. I don't know if she'd want me to remember her like that."

"Well, Amelia got her way a lot of the time, but don't make this decision for her. Make it for you," he said, and gently kissed my forehead before stepping around me to go over to Amelia's bed.

"Eric?"

"Yeah," he answered from behind me.

"Will you come in with me?"

"Of course," he said, and took my hand when I reached for him.

We walked into the room together and waited for Tray to say goodbye before going over to her bed. Already she didn't even look like Amelia. Her lips were blue and even though her hand was warm to the touch, I knew she was gone.

"Hey, sweetie," I said, and picked up her hand to kiss the back of it. "It was always like you to leave a party early. I'm going to miss you so much. I'm so sorry I wasn't next to you when you went, but I was close by. We all were. I promise you that I'll remember you healthy and happy. Hell, I might even name a kid after you. You have to keep your promises too, okay? You're mischievous enough to send me a sign or two. I love you, Ames. I'm never going to forget you. I might even do the DiMaggio thing and have a flower put on your grave every year for the rest of time. You'd enjoy that. Just have fun up there, Meals. Get to know your mom. I'll be there before you know it."

I got up and kissed her forehead, and then I left the room before I started crying again. I knew she wasn't in her body anymore, but I still felt the need to be strong in front of her. Eric came out of the room a minute later with tears in his own eyes, and wrapped me in a big hug.

"I already emailed my boss to tell him I won't be in for the rest of the week, so I'm all yours," he told me.

"Thank you," I said, and clung to him.

"You ready to go home?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I nodded, and looked around. "Is Tray gone?"

"He probably had to sign some paperwork since he's in charge of things from here on out," Eric said.

"Should we wait to tell him bye?"

"I don't know where he went. Why don't we just text him and let him know we're available when he needs us?"

"Alright," I said.

Eric pulled his phone from his pocket to text Tray, and guided me toward the elevator. I felt like I was walking in sand up to my ankles, and breathing hurt. As soon as Eric put his phone away I was clinging to him again.

He mostly held me up as we walked out of the hospital. Eric hailed a cab, and gave the driver our address once we were situated in the backseat. Just like on the ride there we didn't speak. The sun was already out.

It wasn't until we pulled up in front of our apartment that he said, "I hate sunny days when I'm in a shit mood."

"Yeah," I agreed. "If the weather wasn't already set I'd say it was Amelia telling us to stop being depressing."

He paid the driver and said, "Knowing her, she's probably up there making sure all the clouds stay away."

"She'd enjoy the sudden power," I smiled.

"You better hope she lets you keep tanning," he said as we got out of the cab.

"Fat chance," I laughed, and it felt good.

"You'll be beautiful either way," he said, and held my hand as we walked up to the apartment.

"Thank you, but she was always right. I need to knock it off before I end up with skin cancer."

Eric unlocked the apartment door and stepped out of the way so I could go inside first. When I did he followed me in, and then locked the door behind us.

"So what do we do now?" he asked while kicking off his shoes.

"We try to sleep," I said.

"Did you need to call into work?" he asked, trailing me back to the bedroom.

"No. I don't have any projects currently."

"Okay," he said, and climbed up onto the bed.

"If I cry myself to sleep, I'd like to apologize now."

"You don't need to do that," he said, and opened his arms to me so I could rest my head on his chest.

"Thank you for being here," I said as I snuggled into his embrace.

"You're welcome."

"What did she say to you?" I asked since she'd talked to him after me. "Was she alright?"

"Yeah, she was fine. She just reminded me to keep the promise I made to her or she'd find a way to castrate me from beyond the grave," he told me.

"Yeah she would," I smiled. "What promise? The legal stuff?"

"No, a different promise."

"One I need to not pry into?"

"When she came to see me at my office about setting up some of her estate stuff she asked me to take care of you after she was gone. She didn't want you to be lonely," he said.

I smiled as my eyes teared up and said, "She told me that it was pretty much her dying wish that I get everything I want. I already miss her so much."

"You know what else she told me?" Eric asked, his fingers trailing lightly up and down my back.

"What?"

"That as much as she loves Tray, you were the love of her life. In a platonic way, of course, but still..."

I burst into tears, the ugly, snotsobbing kind.

He didn't say anything else, just let me cry it out until I finally fell asleep.

* * *

**This chapter was incredibly hard for us to write. I was pretty much snotsobbing the whole way through. But this is life, and we all lose people we love. It's how we handle it that makes us who we are. Thanks for reading.**


	17. Coping

**Possible tissue warning...  
**

* * *

Chapter 16 - Coping

**EPOV**

I stayed awake to make sure that Sookie fell asleep, and I was awake before her too. When I woke up it was just after eleven so we'd only been in bed for a couple of hours. I told myself I should roll over and go back to sleep, but I couldn't. My brain was awake which meant there was no shutting it back down for a while. Since I didn't want to wake Sookie, and I was hungry anyway, I got out of bed and went to the kitchen to start cooking.

I didn't know if she would want to eat when she woke up, but just on the chance that she did I started making breakfast. There was something almost comforting about cooking. I diced potatoes and onions to start making hashbrowns. I laid out bacon on a cookie sheet to bake it instead of frying it. Just because I could I decided to make pancakes as well, and just when I heard the toilet flush in the other room I was pulling eggs out for scrambling.

Sookie came into the room with puffy eyes and a slightly dazed expression on her face. I was glad the funeral planning was already finished so she wouldn't have to worry about that. Amelia had seen to it that it was all finished beforehand. The only thing Sookie might have to do was write up a eulogy, which was going to be hard enough for her.

"There's coffee ready if you want some," I told her as she crossed the room to give me a hug.

"That would be nice," she said. "Did you sleep?"

"For an hour or two," I said, and started cracking eggs into a bowl.

"I feel weird," she said as she poured her coffee.

"It's probably just because your sleep schedule is all thrown off, and you were so stressed out when you went to sleep," I told her, but knew it probably had more to do with the fact that she couldn't pick up the phone and call her best friend like she could just twenty-four hours before.

"Yeah."

"I hope you're hungry," I said as I started beating the eggs. "There's enough food here for a small army."

"I'm not really, but I know I should eat."

"There are pancakes warming in the oven," I told her. "I added chocolate chips to yours."

"Thank you, sweetie," she smiled at me.

"You're welcome," I said, and poured the eggs into a skillet. "Do you want any toast?"

"Not yet," she said. "But if I want some later I'll make it."

I scrambled up the eggs and Sookie pulled down plates for us. She got silverware out while I got the bacon and pancakes out of the oven. All in all, I had probably made enough food for five or six people instead of just the two of us.

"I may have overdone it a little," I admitted when Sookie's eyes went wide.

"It just means you care."

"That, and I didn't want to wake you up," I smiled, and handed her a plate.

"Thank you for that," she said. "I have a feeling I may be sleeping a lot in the next few days."

"That's okay," I told her, and started spooning eggs onto my plate.

She filled her plate pretty generously, and took it to the table, where she mostly stared at it.

"If you're not hungry you don't have to eat," I said, took a big bite of pancakes.

"I need to eat," she said. "It's just... she's never going to have brunch with me again. Or have pancakes. She loved pancakes."

"So then enjoy them for her," I suggested. "You know she wouldn't want you to miss out on things you love just because she's not there."

She nodded, and cut into her pancakes, but when she took a bite she started crying. I set my fork down and then moved to kneel down next to her chair to give her a hug. I hoped she didn't burst into tears every time she ate, but I'd be prepared for it if she did.

"Are the pancakes really that bad?" I figured I couldn't go wrong with trying to make her smile, even if it was at my expense.

She let out a laugh, and said, "No, they're really great."

"You know," I pulled back a moment later. "Maybe it'll be easier after the funeral is done with. Then you'll have a place to go where you can talk to her."

"With her, I could probably talk to her anywhere and she'd be listening," she said, as she wiped her eyes with her napkin.

"That's probably true," I smiled at her. "Want some water or juice or something?"

"Juice, please."

"Orange or apple?"

"Apple."

"You got it," I leaned in and gave her a kiss before getting up and going over to the fridge to get her juice. I was in the middle of pouring it for her when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," she said, and went to the front door.

I finished pouring her juice and took it over to the table. I sat down to finish eating, and wasn't entirely surprised when Tray followed Sookie into the kitchen.

"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in," I smiled at him. "There's plenty of food if you want to make a plate."

"Yeah, sure," Tray said, and handed a bag to Sookie. "I'm starving."

"What's this?" she asked.

"The papers you left at the hospital, the keys to Amelia's car and apartment and a few other little things of hers I thought you might want," he said, and found a plate in the cabinet.

"Oh," she said. "I'm just going to put this in the bedroom."

"How's she doing?" Tray whispered once Sookie was gone.

"Better than I expected, but we'll see after the funeral," I said, and then pointed to where the silverware was. "How are you?"

"Fucking tired, but I know if I tried to get some sleep it would only be for about twenty minutes," Tray said as he grabbed a fork, and then came over to the table to sit down.

Sookie came back into the kitchen and sat down in front of her plate again. She started eating and didn't burst into tears this time, so that was progress.

"Before I forget, Sook, there's a key for a safety deposit box in that bag. Whatever you do, don't lose it," Tray said.

"Does she have something important in there?" she asked. "I mean, I know it's for important things, but..."

"Honestly, I have no idea what's in there. She just told me to make sure you get that key after she died," he said, and took a big bite of his potatoes.

"Okay. We'll have to go look after the funeral or something."

"Whenever you want," Tray said.

Sookie nodded, and kept eating. We all sat quietly for a while, just eating and thinking our own thoughts. Tray and I both got up for seconds, and I was impressed when Sookie mostly cleared her plate before calling it quits. I knew from after the miscarriage that eating when she was really sad or stressed out was hard for her. Just getting her to eat half of a grilled cheese sandwich when we came home from the hospital was tricky enough.

"So, Eric..." Tray said once we were done eating. "When Amelia and I put together her funeral plans she was very clear and detailed about what she wanted and what she didn't. One of her requests was that you be a pallbearer. You don't have to do it if-"

"I'll do it," I said, sparing Tray from having to give me the rest of that out clause. Not only was I honored in some bizarre way, but I also knew Sookie would never forgive me if I declined to do it.

"What did she want?" Sookie asked. "She refused to discuss funeral plans with me."

"We'll be having a memorial service here for her. It's a nondenominational thing since you know Amelia was sort of all over the place with religion," Tray said, and I nodded. "So we'll have a service here. She wants to be cremated, and then her ashes are going to be interred with her mother in New Orleans."

Sookie smiled, and said, "Good. I knew that she wanted to be with her mother."

"She planned everything, Sook," Tray revealed. "The flowers, the readings, the music... it's all taken care of. And she doesn't want anyone to wear black. She said it's a New Orleans thing."

"Is she having alcohol served too?"

"Of course. In fact, she even took the time to write a toast. She left specific instructions that we are all supposed to go out and get shitfaced together after her funeral," Tray said.

"I don't think anyone will have a problem with that," I said.

"It's definitely what she wanted," Sookie smiled. "Did she want me to say anything?"

"That's the only thing she wasn't demanding about. She assumed that you would want to, but she knows how you feel about public speaking."

"I'd do it for her."

"If you're comfortable with it, I don't think anyone would object. You know Amelia better than anyone," Tray said.

"I'll do it," she said.

"Good," Tray smiled. He sighed and said, "I should get going. I need to crash for a little while and I'm sure you two have other things to do."

"Come over anytime, Tray," Sookie said, and stood to give him a hug.

"Try to get some sleep, yeah?" he wrapped Sookie in a big hug.

"If you need us for anything just let us know," I said, and got up off the couch to get the door for him.

"I will," he said, and I clapped him on his shoulder as he walked out.

"He's a great guy," Sookie said. "I'm so happy Amelia had him, even if it wasn't for very long."

"Yeah, I think it was good for both of them to have each other for a while," I agreed. "I'm gonna go clean up the kitchen and put away leftovers."

"I think I'm going to hop in the shower," she said, and stretched up to kiss me.

"Okay. Enjoy," I said, and then headed for the kitchen while Sookie went to the bathroom.

**oOoOoOo**

"I was thinking about going for a walk," I said later that night. "Feel like taking a walk with me?"

"A walk sounds good," Sookie said.

"Maybe we can stop for ice cream at that place you like around the corner," I suggested.

"That sounds good too," she smiled.

"Then let's get going," I said, and put my shoes on. Sookie did the same, and I locked up behind us when we left the apartment.

The sun was in the middle of setting and it was a pleasant night in Chicago. Not too humid, nice breeze... absolutely perfect.

"She's definitely working her ass off up there," Sookie chuckled.

"It seems so," I agreed, and reached for her hand. "Any idea what you're going to say at her service?"

"A few," she said. "I'll work on it tonight."

"How do you think her father's taking the news?"

"I really don't care after what he said to her."

"He sounds like a real piece of work. Has he always been like that?"

"Yeah. He's never supported anything she wanted to do. He would have loved it if we lived in a time where you could still marry your daughter off to the highest bidder."

"What an asshole," I said. "Amelia had a pretty good life going for herself. It's ridiculous that her father didn't see any value in it."

"He was more of a sperm donor than a father."

"Then it's pretty amazing that Amelia became the person she did," I lifted Sookie's hand and kissed it. "I bet you had something to do with that."

"I like to think so, and she liked to tell me that."

"Do you want to go to New Orleans for her interment?" I asked her.

"I think I do. If only to keep Copley from being an ass."

"Hopefully he'll behave himself."

"He better. Amelia deserves better."

"Yes, she does," I agreed, and when we got to the ice cream parlor I opened the door for her. "I don't know about you, but a brownie sundae sounds really good right about now."

"That sounds perfect."

We stepped up to the counter and ordered our ice cream, and then took a seat at a table to wait for our number to be called. Once we had our ice cream we went outside to the little cafe area and sat down at one of the vacant tables.

"I'm surprised you didn't get cookie dough ice cream," I said once we were settled in.

"Amelia liked brownies better," she smiled.

"Ah, so you're having the sundae for her," I said.

"Of course," she said, and took a bite.

"You know what you should have for her when we get home?"

"What?"

"A back rub. I bet after the day she's had, she could really use one of those," I winked at Sookie.

She smiled, and said, "She'd really, really enjoy one of those."

"Good," I said, and dug into my sundae.

"I'm a little afraid to look at the amount of money she left me," Sookie told me after a few minutes.

"Well, I'll tell you this much," I said, and wiped my mouth on a napkin. "When she asked for help the way she described the amount was to call it substantial. I think she understated."

Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. "I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, and I know she won't care as long as whatever I use it for makes me happy."

"You don't have to figure all that out right away," I said. "She had me put the money into interest bearing accounts, so it's only going to keep growing."

"I think our kids are set for higher education," she laughed.

"Our kids, huh?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"I said 'our'?"

"Yeah, you did," I smiled at her.

"Shit. I didn't mean anything by it. I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize, Sookie. It's okay if you think about that kind of stuff."

"That's just it, I haven't. I mean I want kids, but I've yet to fantasize about my kids having you as a daddy."

"That's okay too," I said, and took another bite of my sundae.

"Do you ever think about having kids?"

"Yeah, sure," I nodded.

"Are they cute?"

"Does anyone ever imagine themselves having ugly kids?" I questioned.

"Ugly people?"

"I think even ugly people like to think their offspring will be dealt a better hand in life than they were."

"And sometimes they are."

"I also don't think two beautiful parents guarantee a beautiful baby. I mean, look at the children of some celebrities," I cringed just thinking about it.

"Oh I know. But I think it's safe to say that if you and I ever get that far, we'd have adorable children."

"I think that is entirely possible," I agreed. I didn't bother to point out that we would be the two most biased people on the planet.

"Besides, I think Amelia would make sure of it."

"I'm sure she will."

"Thank you for agreeing to be her pallbearer," she said, and reached over to take my hand. "I know you didn't know her long, but she liked you a lot."

"I like Amelia," I said since that hadn't changed in the last twelve hours. "She's a good person."

"Eric..."

"What?"

"When you talk about her like she's still here, it makes it harder to accept that she's not."

"Sorry," I said.

"It's okay."

"I guess it's just that the fact that she died doesn't change the fact that I think she was a good person," I shrugged. "I don't see any reason to make that a past tense statement. She'll always be a good person; I'll always like her."

"I know what you mean, but at least for now?"

"I'll try to keep it in mind," I told her.

"Thank you."

We finished eating our ice cream and then continued our walk around the neighborhood. I'm not sure how far we walked that night, but we were out of the apartment for at least two hours before we finally went home.

"I'm exhausted," I said before plopping down on the couch.

"Me too," she said, and laid down with her head in my lap.

"Mind if we reschedule that back rub for tomorrow night?" I asked her.

"Not at all."

"You're the greatest," I said, and rested my head against the back of the couch.

"I'm glad you think so," she said.

I let my eyes drift closed and the next thing I knew Sookie was nudging me awake.

"Mmm..." was all I could get out.

"Sweetie?" Sookie said. "Wake up."

"What's wrong?" I asked, cracking one eye open.

"Nothing, we just slept too long," she said.

"Not long enough," I said and closed my eye.

"Do you want to go back to sleep?"

"Uh huh."

"Alright, you go back to sleep, I'm going to go find something to eat."

"Okay," I said, and then ended up shifting so I was lying down on the couch. I didn't even want to get up to go to bed.

"Love you," she said, and kissed my cheek before going to the kitchen.

The next time I woke up I was covered with a blanket on the couch. The lights were all turned off, as was the TV. I got up and headed back toward the bedroom. Sookie was curled on her side, sound asleep. I pulled off my clothes rather sloppily and went to the bathroom to pee and brush my teeth before getting into bed with her. I discovered quickly that she wasn't asleep at all.

"Nice of you to join me," she said.

"Sorry. Couch was comfy. What are you still doing up?" I asked, and spooned up behind her.

"Can't stop thinking," she said, and twined her fingers with mine when I wrapped an arm around her.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked with a yawn.

"I closed my eyes earlier and saw you as the father of my kids," she blurted out.

I smiled and asked, "Were they cute?"

"Very," she said. "There was a little girl with curly blonde hair, and twin boys."

"Sounds like a nice family."

"Are you okay with that?" she asked, and rolled over so she could look at me.

"The miscarriage and all of that forced me to think about what it would be like to have a kid with you," I started. "And at first I was really unsure about the whole thing. Not because I thought you'd be a bad mother or because I didn't think I could handle the responsibility, but because it happened so fast. It's been a year since that happened, and there's a part of me that sometimes wonders who that kid might have turned out to be. I don't know what's in my future, but I hope that the next time someone tells me they're having my kid that it's you."

Her eyes welled, and she leaned forward and kissed me.

"I love you so much," she whispered.

"I love you too," I whispered back, and wiped the tears off her cheek.

She kissed me again, then snuggled into my arms.

"Try to get some sleep, Sookie," I said, and rubbed her back slowly.

"Goodnight, sweetie."

"Night," I said, and kissed the top of her head.

* * *

**I'm so sorry we made everyone cry last chapter! Losing someone is something absolutely everyone can relate to. *hugs all the readers silly* Thank you all for reading!  
**


	18. One Last Party

**Sorry ladies! My day started off in a crappy way and I completely forgot to post this. NSFW  
**

* * *

Chapter 17 - One Last Party

**SPOV**

"Most of you know Amelia as a fun, wild, free-spirited, kind person, and she was. She was all of that and more. But to me, she was also the sister I never had. Amelia had a kind soul, and she truly loved only a few people, but she loved them fiercely."

I looked pointedly at Tray, who was sitting in the front next to Eric, and they were both smiling at me. As sad as this day was, we all agreed to do our best to get through it without crying, which was what she had wanted.

"When we were little girls, Amelia and I planned out our entire lives. We were going to move away from the humid Louisiana heat and live in a city together. We were going to get married at the same time, and have babies together who would then grow up and marry each other so that we'd always be together. And eventually, when we outlived our husbands, we planned to buy a house and a bunch of dogs and live out the rest of our days there. What we didn't plan on was one of us dying so young.

"Amelia's sense of living life to the fullest didn't stop when she found out she was ill. She chose to, in her words, 'grab each day by the balls and make it my bitch.'" I had to pause to chuckle. She had told me that about a month after I found out. "And she did. If she could talk to us right now, she'd tell us that she's happy she went out like she did. She'd tell us she loves us all. She'd probably judge a few of you for wearing black to her life party," I smiled, and most of the attendees laughed.

"We're here today to celebrate knowing Amelia, not to mourn her passing. She wanted that. She didn't want people to be sad. I know just as well as the rest of you how hard it is not to be sad, because let's face it, she was irreplaceable and awesome. But we have to do it for her. So when you find yourself wanting to cry because she's gone, choose to do something new. Choose to live, for her. Remember her. Tell stories about her. Be glad you knew her. I know I am, and I know my life is better for having known her."

I thanked everyone for listening, and then stepped down to go take my seat next to Eric again. I grabbed his hand immediately and did my best not to let myself cry.

"You did good, Sookie," Eric leaned over to kiss my temple.

"Thank you," I whispered, and gave his hand a squeeze.

"Is Amelia's father here?" he whispered.

"He's in the back," I said. I wasn't willing to start drama until after the service was over. "One of the only people wearing black."

"Figures," Eric said, and then leaned closer to me. "By the way, you look beautiful."

I smiled and said, "So do you."

A few other people got up to speak about Amelia, and share stories about her life. Copley wasn't one of those people, but then he wouldn't have had much to offer since he didn't really know his daughter very well at all. Tray had prepared something but he was too choked up to actually get up in front of everyone and share his thoughts. Before the service concluded the last song to be played was Amelia's all-time favorite, 'American Girl' by Tom Petty.

It took all of ten seconds for just about everyone gathered at the service to start singing along, Eric and me included. A few people even got up and started dancing, which was exactly what Amelia would have wanted.

Eric stood and held his hand out to me, "Wanna dance?"

"Yeah," I smiled, and he helped me up. "Tray, dance with us."

Tray remained quiet, but stood as well to join the little dance party that had started.

"I've never danced at a funeral before," Eric said with a faint smile. "I doubt I ever will again."

"And Ames would love that," I smiled.

"What's the plan for after the service?" Eric looked to Tray, who was running all of this.

"She wanted us to go back to the bar where you two met on St. Patrick's Day last year," he said. "She said that place was lucky."

I smiled, and took Tray's hand. "If I haven't said it already, thank you so much for doing all of this."

"I didn't do anything. This was all Amelia's work. She wanted one more party with all of her friends," he said sadly.

"And she's going to get it," I said. "She wouldn't want you to be sad, Tray."

"She'll get over it," he said.

"She is so going to haunt you for that."

"Good," Tray finally smiled, and then was pulled away by a few of his friends that I didn't really know all that well.

"Do you think he's going to be okay?" I asked Eric.

"Eventually. He probably just needs a break. Things have been pretty hectic for the last couple of days."

"Yeah."

"What about you?" he asked. "You've had your brave face on all day."

"I'll break down later, I promise."

Eric wrapped me in a hug and said, "Just promise not to puke on our couch."

"I won't," I said.

"Do you want to stop at home and change clothes before we go to the bar?" he asked me.

"Yeah. I think I'll wear that top that she loved my boobs in."

"She had a top she loved your boobs in?" Eric asked with amusement.

"Yeah, it's the one I wore on our second date. Well, our first date if you don't count the night we met."

"That is a good shirt," he agreed with a grin.

"She always made me wear it when she was convinced I was dating a good guy," I smiled. "She said if he could manage to look me in the eyes for a whole conversation while I was wearing that then he was a keeper."

"Does that mean I passed the test?"

"You're the first guy who did," I smiled. "Don't think I didn't catch you looking though. But you tried not to do it when we were talking, and when you did it was less how-long-until-I-get-her-naked look and more damn-that's-a-nice-rack."

"You do have a very nice rack," he smiled back at me and leaned down to whisper, "Is it wrong that I'm wondering how long it'll be before I can get you naked today?"

"Not wrong at all," I grinned. "In fact, I think Amelia would be offended if we didn't bang today."

He laughed and asked, "How soon can we get out of here?"

"Now?"

"We should probably say goodbye to Tray first and let him know we'll meet him at the bar," he suggested.

"Okay," I said, and looked around for him only to see that he was talking to Copley. "Oh no."

"What?" Eric asked, and followed my line of sight. "Who's Tray talking to?"

"That's Copley."

"Oh shit," he muttered. "Should we go over there before Tray throws a punch?"

"Yeah," I said, and then Tray threw a punch. "Shit!"

Eric and a few other guys hustled over to grab Tray before he could beat Copley to a bloody pulp. As it was, Copley was already threatening to file a lawsuit or have Tray arrested for assault, and the second he saw me he started threatening taking me to court to try and recover the money Amelia had willed to me.

"Jesus Cope, could you just be a good father for one fucking minute?" I yelled at him. "She was your daughter! This is what she wanted! You have enough money, you don't need her mother's!"

"It should have been mine in the first place!" he argued. "And if my daughter had any sense in that head full of air she would have seen what I saw when I met you, a little white trash bloodsucking leech!"

Copley got punched a second time, only it was Eric who did the punching.

"Do not talk to her like that!" he grabbed Copley by his tie.

"Eric!" I screeched, and Tray pulled Eric back. "You know what, Copley? This white trash, bloodsucking leech was there for your daughter through thick and thin. I was the one who she could rely on. I was the one who was there when she died, because she loved me, and I loved her. You were nothing but a sperm donor, so fuck off."

Copley glared at me and said, "I'll see you in court."

He jerked away from the guys that were holding him back, and stomped off to the car that was waiting for him.

"You okay, Eric?" Tray asked.

"I wouldn't mind taking another crack at him," Eric admitted while I inspected his hand. He looked at me and said, "I'm fine, Sookie."

"We are in so much shit now," I said. "He's got a lot of money, Eric. He's going to sue you both."

"I don't care," Eric shrugged. "Let him. We'll see how fast it gets thrown out of court. He might mean something in Louisiana but he doesn't mean shit up here."

"Are you sure? I don't want to end up using Amelia's money on lawyers to protect us from Copley. She'd be pissed."

"Some of my best clients are involved in the legal profession," Eric said with a smile. "That includes a few judges in small claims court."

"Are you sure he can't win?"

"I would be shocked if he even files," Tray said. "Really, it wouldn't be worth it."

"What did he say to you?" I asked Tray.

"He said that even in death his daughter was a fuck up for planning a funeral like this," Tray said through a clenched jaw.

"I'm going to kill him," I said, and immediately headed for the exit so I could find him.

"Sook!" Eric grabbed my arm. "Just let him go. Remember what you said about using money for lawyers? He's a fucking idiot."

"Well he doesn't deserve to have a dick right now either," I said, and crossed my arms over my chest.

"He's an asshole," Tray said.

"Come on, let's go home and get changed so we can spend the rest of the day focusing on what an amazing person Amelia was. Fuck Copley," Eric rubbed my shoulders and kissed the top of my head.

I nodded, and said, "Tray, we'll meet you at the bar in about an hour, okay?"

"Yeah, that's cool. See you guys then," he said, and then turned to talk to a few other people who were getting ready to go.

I took Eric's hand, and we headed out.

"Why did he even bother to show up?" I asked when we got back to the apartment.

"Who knows," Eric sighed, and kicked off his shoes. "Maybe he thought he'd be the only one there."

"Probably. In his mind his little girl was nothing without him."

"I think it's the other way around," Eric said as he started to unbutton his shirt. "He was just too arrogant to admit it."

"Clearly," I said, and pulled off my dress. "She had it all, and he never got to see it, and I'm kind of glad. He didn't deserve her."

"No, he didn't," Eric agreed, and pulled his shirt off.

"How much time do we have?" I asked.

"I'd say we need to be on our way in about a half hour, but I don't think there's any big rush to get to the bar. Why?" he asked as he unbuttoned his pants.

"Have sex with me," I said, and took off my bra.

He dropped his pants and said, "Come here."

"Wow, just like that?" I smiled. "I should demand it more often."

"You should know by now all you have to do is ask," he smirked, and then picked me up so he could toss me on the bed.

"I didn't ask, I demanded," I grinned up at him.

"Demanding works too," he said, and then pounced on top of me.

"Then you can't complain the next time I say 'take off your pants' when you're watching sports."

"You have never said that to me before. Believe me, I would remember," he smirked, and then tore my panties off.

"True. Also, you rarely wear pants when watching sports," I smiled. "I promise not to do it during baseball though since I kind of, sort of like it now too."

"I knew I'd convert you eventually," he said, and then kissed me.

Since we were a little short on time we worked quickly. We hadn't had sex since before Amelia died, and at first it was because I was too sad to feel sexy. Eric had been great about it, just holding me at night and letting me cry on his shoulder when I needed to. But now I needed the affirmation of being alive, and there was no better way to get that than by having amazing sex.

Eric reached between us and started rubbing my lower lips while he kissed along my jaw to get to my neck. His fingers parted my folds just as his mouth found that spot on my neck that drove me crazy, and I moaned loudly. I gave him a moment there but didn't let him linger too long since I didn't want to show up at the bar with a hickey. Instead I pulled his face back to mine and kissed him while he slid a finger inside me. He pumped it in and out slowly, letting my body get a little more warmed up before adding another.

He broke the kiss we were in the middle of and cradled the back of my head, pressing his forehead to mine to look me in my eyes as he got me closer and closer to my first orgasm in several days. His eyes were intense, but it was hard to say what was going on in his head. When my hips started to rise to meet the thrusts of his fingers, he pulled them out of me and licked them clean. Eric shifted onto his side and lifted my leg, and then slowly pushed into me.

"Oh God," I groaned, my hands going to my breasts to pinch my nipples a little.

He turned my head so he could kiss me and once he was buried inside me Eric said, "It's too bad we don't have more time. I could easily spend an hour fucking you with just my tongue."

"Later," I gasped when he started to pull out. "Just fuck me."

He kept one hand on my throat and the other moved to my breasts to pluck my nipples one at a time before moving down my stomach to get to my clit. He started rubbing fast circles over it while he pounded into me fast and hard, peppering my face, jaw and neck with kisses as he fucked me. It was amazing.

"Ugh, Eric, right there!" I cried out when he pulled my leg back a little further. "Oh fuck, don't stop! Harder!"

"Fuck, your pussy is so fucking wet for me right now, Sookie," he growled in my ear, which only turned me on more.

I was just about to come when he pulled out so he could turn me over and fuck me from behind. He straddled my closed thighs and when he drove himself into me again he felt absolutely huge. My hands clutched at the comforter when he pounded into me, but the need for more friction against my clit ultimately won out.

"Eric," I panted. "I need to come."

He pulled out again and I got on my hands and knees. He entered me again but then pulled my hands behind my back and held them while he fucked me. I cried out with every thrust of his hips, and once he reached around to rub my clit I was coming within seconds. I screamed with my orgasm, and then, much to my surprise, Eric pulled out and came on my ass. He didn't do that very often, but I didn't mind. It would actually make clean up a little easier.

"Fuck, Sookie," he panted, and plopped down next to me after grabbing a tissue so he could clean up the mess he'd left on my backside.

"I know we just finished," I panted as well. "But I really want to suck your cock right now. Then I can ride you until you're ready to come again, and you can finish in my mouth."

"Dirty girl," he said, and slapped my ass.

"Ugh, again. Do that again," I whimpered.

"Call you a dirty girl or slap your ass?" he asked.

"Both," I said, and wiggled my ass. I was still on my knees, bent over in the perfect position for a spanking.

"You know one of these days I might just have to pull you down over my knee for no reason and spank you until you come," he said, and then slapped my ass again. "And maybe I'll finger your tight little ass instead of your pussy."

I gasped, but wasn't at all grossed out by his suggestion. We hadn't talked about having anal sex, but if that was something he was interested in we should talk about it. That wasn't the kind of thing a guy should spring on a girl. He ran his hand over my backside and then slapped my ass again. I jumped but wiggled a little, smirking over at him. He kept it up until I reached down to start stroking him.

I ended up getting my way after all.

**oOoOoOo**

"I'm glad you're wearing a skirt," Eric said as we walked into the bar. "That may come in handy later."

"Really, Eric?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "You just got off twice."

"What's your point?" he asked, and pinched my ass.

"I'm not complaining," I grinned.

"I hope not," he said. "Want your usual?"

"Yes please," I said. "I'm going to find Tray."

"I'll come find you," he said, and kissed my head before going toward the bar to get us drinks.

I headed off to look for Tray and found him sitting in a booth alone. A lot of people from Amelia's service were there, but no one was sitting with him. I slid into the booth and laid my head on his shoulder.

"She loved you so much," I said quietly.

"I know she did," he said just as quietly.

"And she knew you loved her just as much. You made her so, so happy."

"I tried," he said modestly.

"You did, Tray. She was very happy in the end. I've never seen her like that with anyone else."

"She deserved to live the rest of her life happily," he said, but I could see his grip tightening on his beer bottle. "You know this is all bullshit, right? Not a single second of this is fucking fair."

I reached for his free hand, and said, "I know. It's incredibly unfair, and sometimes I get really, really pissed off about it. But there's plenty of time to be mad later. She wouldn't want us to be mad today."

"Yeah," he said, but didn't relax his grip on the bottle.

"Tray, look at me," I said, and after moment he did. "I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing to me for?"

"For everything. You and Amelia didn't deserve to be stuck with such a short time. You two should have gotten everything you wanted from life, and I'm just so incredibly sorry."

"Nothing to be done about it now, doll," he relaxed a little. "But I appreciate you saying it."

"I'm here whenever you need someone, okay? We can cry together or be angry together, I don't care. Just don't ever think you're alone in this."

"I know," he nodded, but I got the feeling he wouldn't be calling me. Not because he didn't care, but because that wasn't how he dealt with things.

"You know you can come hang with Eric anytime too right? You guys can just sit and watch sports and grunt together," I smiled.

Tray cracked a smile and said, "Throw in a little ball scratching and I'm there."

"Totally doable," I laughed.

"What's so funny over here?" Eric asked as he walked up to the table with our drinks.

"Sookie says I can come over to your place to scratch my balls," Tray said, and we both started laughing.

"What?" Eric looked at us with a small chuckle, knowing he'd obviously missed something.

"He means man time," I smiled, and took my drink from him. "Thanks, sweetie."

"You're welcome," he said, and sat down next to me.

We were all quiet for a few minutes, and then I said, "I feel like she's just in the bathroom taking her sweet time."

"If she comes out of the bathroom, I'm not going to find that funny," Eric said, and took a long drink of his beer.

"Me either."

Tray reached into the inner jacket pocket of his suit and said, "Amelia asked me to give you this too. She said you were supposed to read it while we're at the bar."

"A letter?"

"I don't know what it is," he shrugged. "It's been sealed in that envelope since she gave it to me."

I opened the envelope and pulled out her scented stationary she'd been writing on for as long as I could remember. I unfolded the pages and smiled at her girly script.

_Dear Sook,_

_Hopefully you're reading this before you get wasted. It's 3:00 in the morning and I should be sleeping, but I can't. Every time I close my eyes all I see is my past. I keep reliving the same moments over and over again. Like the first time I met you when we were five. First day of kindergarten and I was scared out of my mind. When you asked me where my Mom was I told you she died and you said I could share yours. That was the moment you became my best friend._

_I have always loved you for your generosity and kindness. Even when I don't deserve it, you have never ever turned your back on me. You have always been there, the silver lining to my dark cloud, the mac to my cheese, the peanut butter to my jelly. I'm gonna miss the shit out of you, woman. I'm trying so fucking hard not to be angry, but it's hard not to be. I see Tray asleep in my bed, and every goddamn night I wonder if it's the last time I'll watch him sleep, or if every kiss he gives me is going to be the last one._

_It's fucking painful to live like this. Sometimes I wish it would just happen already so we can all stop waiting for it. I'm not scared anymore. I figured even if it hurts, it'll be over before I know it. Then I get to spend eternity on a cloud with my Mom, watching you accomplish every goal you set for yourself and do all the amazing things you've always wanted to do._

_Don't put your life on hold because I'm not around, you feel me? Don't waste your time thinking about how I'll never have pancakes again, or how I'll never give a guy my number, but really it's the number for the Cook County morgue. I know, I know, I'm awful. Maybe I'll spend eternity looking up at you instead._

_I guess, in the end, it doesn't really matter where I go once I leave my body because all I can think about is what I'm leaving behind. I keep going back to all the great things I've done in my life, and it isn't until right here, right now, that I realize how fucking amazing my life has been. I have you to thank for that, Sook. You've always been my biggest supporter and I honestly don't know where I would be without you._

_I'm sure you're pissed about the money. Well, deal with it. Use it for whatever you want, sunshine. Give it to charity, start a business, save it for a rainy day… whatever it is you want to do you now have the power to do it. You have no more excuses, Sook. No more holding back._

_You're the best prom date I ever had._

_I will love you forever._

_Xoxo,_

_Ames_

I was crying before I hit the second paragraph, and when I folded the paper back up I brought it to my nose and inhaled the scent. I knew it wouldn't last forever, and I wanted to commit it to memory. When I put the letter back in the envelope, Eric handed me a napkin.

"Thank you," I said, and wiped my eyes.

"You're welcome," Tray said. "But I gotta tell you, seeing you have a reaction like that makes me nervous to read the letter she left for me. And there's one for you, too," he reached into his other pocket and pulled out another envelope that he handed to Eric.

"Thanks," he said. "I think I'll read mine later, though."

"I'm glad she did this," I said.

"Yeah, me too," Tray said, and then got called away by a few of the other people that were in the bar from Amelia's service. "Excuse me. I'll be right back."

I got out of the booth to let him out, and slid into the other side to sit with Eric. He wrapped his arm around me, and I laid my head on his shoulder.

"I miss her so much," I said.

"I know you do," he kissed the top of my head. "Wanna talk about her letter, or is it private?"

"We can talk about it. She basically told me why she loved me, and said I shouldn't waste time wishing she was still here. I think she was at peace with what was happening. At least as at peace as she could be."

"That's good," he nodded. "And she's right about wasting time. She's proof that life's too short."

"I know. It's just hard right now."

"It sucks, but it'll get easier eventually."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," he smiled at me.

"Have you ever lost anyone close to you?"

"Yeah, I have. A friend of mine was killed in a car crash when I was seventeen."

"I'm sorry," I frowned. "It's just... the way you talk about dealing with grief made me think maybe you'd been through this before too."

"I think it's something everyone can relate to. When you think about it, death really is the great equalizer since the only things we all have in common is that we're all guaranteed to be born and die. Everything else is up for grabs."

"That's true. I'm just really tired of losing people. My parents were hard enough."

"You don't really talk about them very much," he said, his fingers trailing up and down my neck.

"That's because I had to deal with those emotions at a very young age, and I really don't like to revisit that. Losing Amelia was the same and different in a lot of ways. At least I got to say goodbye to her. But I'm not sure if that was better or worse than being totally blindsided by death."

"I don't think there's an easy way to deal with grief. Some days it's not as heavy, and some days it feels like it could crush you," he kissed my temple. "But eventually the pain will be less. It just takes time."

"I know. I'm not a stranger to grief."

"Well then let's get shitfaced and then go home and have outrageously loud sex," he suggested.

"How about we do the shitfaced part, and we can decide on the sex part later?"

"That works," he said, and took another long drink of his beer.

* * *

**Thank you all for reading!  
**


	19. The Number

**Double posting to make up for not posting until late! NSFW  
**

* * *

Chapter 18 - The Number

**EPOV**

We stumbled into the apartment and I kicked the door closed. Sookie and I had made out in the cab the whole way back from the bar, and for the last two blocks I'd been fingering her. Just getting up the stairs to our apartment was tricky. While we stood there kissing in the living room she unbuttoned and then unzipped my jeans. She was about to wrap her hand around my cock when I spun her around and bent her over the arm of the couch.

"I want you to fuck me so hard," she moaned while I tugged her panties down.

"Fuck, you're so wet, baby," I groaned and nibbled on her neck while my fingers teased her pussy.

"Eric, please," she whimpered, wiggling her hips a little.

Since I wasn't really in the teasing mood I didn't waste any time. I slid into her easily, and she moaned when I was completely buried in her. Sookie pulled her t-shirt off and tossed it to the other end of the couch. I unhooked her bra and she pulled that off too while my hips started to thrust into her. I looked down to watch myself fucking her, and I knew the alcohol was getting to me when I started to feel a little dizzy.

I pulled out of her and she immediately asked, "Why'd you stop?"

"Dizzy," I said, and spun her around to kiss her.

While we stumbled back to the bedroom she stroked my cock, and when we got to the bed she dropped to her knees and took me in her mouth.

"Oh fuck yes," I groaned, wrapping some of her hair around my hand, guiding her head while she started to suck me off. "You look so fucking sexy with my cock in your mouth, baby."

She moaned while she sucked, and when she reached down to start touching herself I pulled her head away. If she was going to come, I wanted to be inside her when she did it. I threw her back on the bed, and then pulled her to the edge by her ankles. I slid into her again and reached forward to grab her boobs when I started to thrust. Sookie lifted her head off the mattress and I saw her eyes focus on where we were joined, watching my cock slide in and out of her over and over.

"Ugh, so fucking good," she moaned and her head flew back against the bed. "Harder, Eric. I'm so close."

I gave her what she asked for and watched her boobs bounce as I fucked her. It felt fucking amazing when she came, and even though I wanted to come at the same time she did, my body wasn't on board with my brain. So instead I pulled out of her and climbed up onto the bed. Sookie pushed me onto my back and then straddled my waist, reverse cowgirl style, and impaled herself on me. She leaned forward and when I slapped her ass she moaned loudly. So I did it again... and again, and again... over and over while she rode me until she came a second time. As soon as she came down from her high she dismounted me and started sucking me off instead.

Her head went down farther than it ever had before and as much as I wanted to watch what she was doing, my eyes refused to open. It felt fucking amazing, and while I think I warned her I was about to come, it might have just been in my mind. I guess it doesn't matter since I came anyway, and then my body went completely limp. I didn't even have the strength or coordination to pull her closer to me. I felt her head rest on my lower stomach and my fingers in her hair. Otherwise I felt like I was floating on a cloud or something.

"Well that was something," she giggled after a moment.

"It's good to end the day with a bang," I answered, my eyes still closed.

"You okay up there?"

"Drunk."

"Damn, I hoped it was the blowjob."

"That too," I smiled.

"You did good too, lover," she said, and crawled up so she was eye to eye with me in the bed.

"I don't even want to move," I said.

"I didn't either, but I'd rather be looking at your pretty face than your man parts."

I managed to gather up enough energy to move so I was lying with my head on her boobs and asked, "Why don't I sleep like this more? Your boobs make great pillows."

"You're a silly boy," she laughed.

"You wouldn't think it was silly if you were laying where I am," I said, and nuzzled against her, making her laugh more.

"Yes I would 'cause I don't like boobies as much as you do."

"But your boobs aren't just any boobs," I told her.

"They aren't?"

"Nope."

"What are they?"

"Well they're still boobs," I said. "But they're perfect boobs."

"Perfect, you say?"

"Uh huh," I said, and then nibbled on one of them.

"Hey!" she laughed, and pushed my head away.

"But they taste good," I said, and we started to wrestle a little bit. "Give 'em back."

"No," she said, still giggling as she struggled, and eventually she was able to roll onto her stomach, effectively cutting off my access.

"Cheater!" I said, but then rolled on top of her.

"What do you think you're going to do about it from there?" she asked, and turned her head as much as she could to look back at me.

"That sounds like a dare," I smirked, and then reached down to touch her inner thigh.

"You can't rebound that fast," she said, and then quickly added, "When you're drunk."

"Fingers don't need rebound time, sweetheart," I reminded her.

"But the fingers aren't as good as the cock," she pouted.

"I seem to remember them doing a pretty damn good job in the cab," I whispered in her ear as my fingers found their target.

She let out a moan and tried to move her hips, but my weight on top of her didn't give her much mobility.

"Eric," she whined.

"Yes, dearest," I kissed her shoulder and moved toward her neck as my fingers started to move in and out slowly.

"Why isn't your cock ready yet?"

"Not enjoying yourself?" I asked and sucked on her neck a little.

"I am," she said, and moaned a little when I hit that spot on her neck she liked. "I would just enjoy myself more if you were fucking me through the mattress."

"You and me both," I admitted. "You're just going to have to be patient, dirty girl."

"I'm not patient when I'm drunk. Why can't you just be ready?" she smarted off.

"You're not patient when you're sober either," I teased.

"I need to be fucked, Eric. Now."

"Bossy," I said, and removed my fingers from between her legs.

"Is your cock ready?" she asked excitedly.

"Not yet," I smirked against her shoulder.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she whined again.

"Doing what?" I asked, and put my fingers back.

She groaned, and said, "Stop teasing me."

"I'm not teasing."

"Yes you are! But don't stop," she moaned.

"You know you never answered me earlier today," I suddenly remembered. "Have you ever..." I slid my fingers up to her other entrance and she gasped.

"Have I ever what, Eric?" she challenged. Clearly she was going to make me ask for it.

I got closer to her ear and asked, "Have you ever been fucked in your ass?"

"No, sir," she said.

"Do you want to be?" I asked. I'd never done it before either, and I didn't know if I wanted to but I wanted to know if she did.

"I've never really considered it, but you're doing a damn good job of convincing me," she said. "Have you ever fucked someone there?"

"Nope," I said.

"Do you want to?"

"Ask me again when I'm sober," I said, and then removed my fingers.

"Then distract me by fucking me," she demanded.

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than I shifted myself so I was very nearly sitting on her thighs. I stroked myself for a moment, and then entered her from behind. I pressed against her lower back, pinning her to the mattress just like she'd said she wanted, but it was obvious to me pretty quickly that even if it felt good, she wasn't exactly getting the friction she wanted or needed.

"What do you want, Sookie?" I asked, even though I was pretty sure I knew.

"I want you to fuck me, dammit," she practically hissed.

"I am," I said, my hips still moving.

"I need you to rub my clit," she panted. "Or let me. Jesus, Eric."

"I'm not stopping you," I said, but then reached under her to do it for her. She moaned loudly and I asked, "That better?"

"Yes!"

"Still want me to fuck you into the mattress?"

"Yes!" she cried out again.

I pulled out of her and flipped Sookie over onto her back. I kissed her hard for a few seconds and finally got my hands on her boobs again. When I settled myself between her thighs she took the initiative and lined my cock up with her opening. I thrust forward while she raised her hips, and she moaned loudly when I got as deep into her as I could. She reached to grab my face but I took her hands and pinned them over her head instead.

It would have been much meaner of me if I hadn't kept rubbing her clit for her, and I didn't stop when she started to come. In fact, I fucked her a little harder and I got what I wanted earlier in the day when I had suggested we have outrageously loud sex. The headboard of the bed was slamming against the wall in time with my thrusts, and Sookie was fighting the hold I had on her wrists.

"Fuck, Eric!" she screamed. "Don't stop! Please, please, please don't stop!"

And I didn't. I couldn't even if I wanted to.

I did, however, let go of her hands, and the second I did they went right to her nipples so she could pinch and pluck them a little. Actually, she seemed to be doing it harder than usual. I hovered over her for a minutes to kiss her, and then I rolled us over so she was riding me again.

"Lean forward, Sookie," I told her, and she did.

I started to thrust my hips up and she cried out loudly. I nibbled on one of her nipples and my hands moved from her hips around to her ass, and when I slapped her ass she moaned loudly. She really did get off on being spanked during sex, which made it a turn-on for me. Throw in a little dirty talk and she went absolutely insane.

"You like that, don't you? You like it when I spank you while I fuck you hard," I said, and pulled her hair a little so she'd have to look at me.

"Yes," she whimpered.

"Dirty girl likes getting fucked hard while I spank her," I said, and slapped her ass a few more times.

"Oh fuck," she said as her pussy started to tighten again.

"Maybe I should make you beg me to let you come," I suggested.

"Please let me come," she moaned, even though it had already started.

"Come for me Sookie," I growled, and started to thrust a little faster.

"Oh God," she whined. "Eric! Eric! Fuck!"

I couldn't hold back anymore myself, and pulled her hips down at the same time I thrust up. I roared with my release, and she was still moaning and panting on top of me. Best sex ever, and we'd had a lot of awesome sex in the last year or so.

"Holy fuck," I groaned as she collapsed on top of me.

Just when I think it can't possibly get better, it does.

"We're getting really, really good at this," she panted.

"I thought we already were," I mustered up enough energy to tickle her sides.

"Apparently we can improve on perfection," she giggled.

"I think I just need to talk dirty more often," I smiled up at her when she lifted her head.

"Yeah, that really does get me going," she said, and her cheeks flushed a bit.

"I noticed. Does it work if I send you dirty emails? I could get pretty explicit," I offered.

"I think that I would love to see if it does. I get turned on from smutty books, why not dirty emails from you?"

"Smutty books?" I lifted an eyebrow. "Where are these smutty books?"

"In my Kindle so you can't judge me."

"I wouldn't judge you," I told her. "I'm just curious to see what you find sexy, that's all."

"It's all kinds of different stuff though," she said, and rolled off of me.

"Like what?" I asked, not really ready to give it up quite yet.

"Like... the one I'm reading now involves a girl who goes back in time and falls in love with a world war two soldier. But last week I was reading one with a polyamory relationship between a woman and two men."

"Huh," I said in a nonjudgmental way. "I never would have guessed."

"It's more about the story really. I didn't think I'd like the polyamory one, but it was really good. Of course the two guys were bi, so that helped. Oh and last month I read one of the classic bodice ripper ones," she said with a happy sigh.

"So the idea of two guys getting it on makes you horny?" I asked her.

"It's weird, I support equality and all that, but reading about two gay men getting it on doesn't do anything for me. But two straight or bi men? Hot as the fires of hell."

"Huh," I said.

Obviously that did nothing for me.

"I'm not going to ask you to kiss a man, Eric."

"Good. There isn't enough beer in the world for that to happen."

"Then I hope you know there isn't even enough tequila in the world for me to kiss another woman."

"I'm okay with that," I smiled at her.

"So you don't have any secret threesome fantasies?"

"Already did it," I confessed.

"You had a threesome?"

"Just once," I shrugged. "Does that bother you?"

"Not unless it was with the girl you lost your virginity to, and the other woman you were with," she said, and pulled the blanket up to cover herself. She was mad.

"It wasn't. Why are you mad?" I sat up against the headboard.

"So then I'm the fourth, not the third."

"I said four including you. So what's the problem?" I didn't get why she was pissed at me.

She rolled out of bed, and pulled on her robe. "I'm going to take a bath," she said, and went into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

What the fuck just happened?

I got out of bed and followed her to the bathroom.

"What the fuck is your problem?" I demanded.

"Please go away," she said. She was getting the water to the right temperature, then plugged the drain to let the tub fill.

"Not until you tell me why you're acting like I lied to you, or cheated on you. I didn't do anything wrong, Sookie."

"No, you didn't. It was my own mistake."

"So what's the problem here? Why won't you talk to me?" I had no intention of leaving her alone until she told me what was going on.

"Because I don't know what to say yet, and I don't want to say anything to make it worse, so please, just let me soak in some hot water for a while so I can figure it out," she said.

That pissed me off. Without a word I turned around and walked out, making sure to slam the door behind me. But rather than getting back in bed I went out to the living room and flopped onto the couch. She could come find me when she was ready to have an adult conversation.

About an hour later, I heard the tub draining, and then Sookie came out in her robe. Her skin was red from the hot water, and her hair was piled up on top of her head. She sat down in the recliner, and said, "You said three."

"I said four!" I argued.

"No, you said four, including me and the girl you lived with and got a blowjob from. Since you never had sex with her, that made me number three."

I rolled my eyes.

"And now you know why I said talking about this always ends badly," I said angrily. "What does it matter?"

"It matters because I thought you were finally opening up about something and you managed to omit a whole person. Maybe you just forgot about her, but I still feel like I've been lied to, and I hope you can understand why."

"I didn't lie to you! I said four!"

"You said four, including Felicia!" she yelled, and stood up. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Why can't you admit that you either lied or forgot?"

"I said four, but maybe Felicia didn't count because we never had sex. You just assumed that meant the number dropped," I argued. I was too drunk to be having this fucked up fight with her.

She sighed, and said, "No, that's not what you said. We're clearly not resolving this tonight, so I'm going to sleep in the other room. Or maybe I'll just go back to my place."

I snorted and said, "Do whatever you want, Sookie."

"Stop being an ass, Eric," she said, and headed back to the bedroom.

"Quit acting like I lied to you and I will!" I shouted back.

She turned around and stormed back into the room.

"You did lie to me! You're just too fucking plastered to remember!"

"I said four! That hasn't changed!"

"Okay, I'll repeat myself again. You said four, including me and Felicia. You only got a blowjob from her, there was the girl you lost it to, and the older woman you were with in college. All accounted for, Eric. You forgot a whole vagina and a pair of boobs. Go you."

"Get out," I said before I could stop myself.

"What?"

"Get. Out."

"Are you serious?" She looked completely shocked.

"I'm an asshole, right? So just go. I don't open up or tell you what you want to hear, so what are we doing here?" I asked her.

"Fine! I'll just go to Amelia's," she said, and turned to go back to the bedroom, but as soon as she did, she realized what she said. "Oh. I guess I can't do that anymore." I heard her sniffle, and then she calmly went to the bedroom to get dressed.

I didn't want her to go. I didn't even know why I said I did. I got up off the couch and followed her to the bedroom.

"Don't go," I hugged her from behind. "I'm sorry I'm an asshole."

"I know you are, but I should go anyway," she said, and pulled away from me. "I have to learn to start dealing with my relationship problems without her, right? No better time than the present."

"But I don't want you to go. I want you to stay so we can fix this," I said and kissed her neck. "Please, Sookie..."

"We've had too much alcohol to fix this," she said. She was fully crying now.

"So we'll just sleep on it," I suggested between kisses.

I was scared that if she left she would never come back. I didn't want that. I didn't care if I was right or wrong. I just didn't want Sookie to leave.

"Eric," she said, and turned around to face me. "You just told me to get out of your apartment, and for all I know, your life, and now you want to sleep on it?"

"I wasn't thinking. I don't want you to go, Sookie. Please," I pleaded. I knew I was all over the map.

"I'll stay," she said. "But I'm sleeping on the couch."

"I'll take the couch. I earned it."

"No, I'll take it."

"Please, just sleep in here. It'll make me feel better about yelling at you," I said regretfully. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"I yelled at you too."

"Because I was a dick," I kissed her lips softly.

"Yeah," she said. "How about neither one of us sleeps on the couch, and you snuggle me instead?"

"I like this plan much better," I told her, but when she started to move I stopped her. "You were right. Well, we both kind of were. My number is still four, it just didn't happen the way I let you think that it did. I should have told you sooner."

"Yeah, you should have, but we shouldn't talk about this right now."

"I just want you to know that," I said, and then let her go so she could climb up onto the bed.

"Wait, we need to both be fully clothed," she said, and went to the dresser where she kept her time-of-the-month pajamas. "We're on sex time-out until we talk."

"I can control myself," I said. I hated wearing pajamas. In fact, I didn't even own any. The most I ever wore to bed was boxers.

"You sure about that? I'm serious, no sex at all."

"I can handle it, Sookie," I said, and got back on the bed. "But if you want to wear pajamas, go right ahead."

"I'm going to," she said, and took her flannel into the bathroom to put it on.

I stretched out on the bed and tried to wrap my head around everything. I gave up after about thirty seconds because the room felt like it was spinning, and I didn't know if that was why I felt like I was going to throw up, or if it was because I had very nearly destroyed the best relationship I had ever been in. Either way, I felt like shit.

Sookie came back into the room, and turned off the light before climbing into bed. She got under the covers, but didn't move to come closer to me.

"Are spoons allowed?" I asked after a minute.

"If you wait until I'm asleep," she said, and rolled over.

"I can't spoon you until you're asleep? I thought you wanted snuggles?"

"While I was getting dressed I realized I'm still upset."

"Oh," I said. "Then I'll give you your space." I scooted a little further away from her so she'd know I was serious.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Goodnight, Sookie," I whispered back to her.

"Eric?"

"Yeah?"

"I still love you, and I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you too," I said, and couldn't stop myself from reaching out and putting a hand on her hip.

"Get over here," she said, and pulled on my hand.

"You said no snuggles," I reminded her, but rolled onto my side anyway. Keeping up with her was confusing as fuck sometimes.

"You're too sad not to snuggle right now."

"I fucked up," I wrapped an arm around her and breathed her in. "I almost ruined everything."

"The important thing is that you know," she said. "And just so you know, I never thought you lied to me intentionally."

"I didn't," I whispered against her neck.

"Good."

"I apologize now if I throw up on the bed. I feel like shit," I told her. I figured she at least deserved a warning after everything else that had happened.

"I promise I won't hold it against you," she said.

"Thank you," I whispered, and kissed her shoulder. "Goodnight, Sookie."

"Goodnight."

I closed my eyes but all that did was make the room spin faster. I managed to stay in bed until Sookie was asleep, but then I rolled off the mattress and went to the bathroom. I just barely made it to the sink before everything in my stomach came rushing back out. Never in my life did it feel so good to puke, but once it was over I felt a million times better. I cleaned out the sink, brushed my teeth and drank as much water as I could by cupping my hands. There was aspirin in the medicine cabinet, and I took a couple of those before going back to bed, praying that was it for the night so I could finally pass out.

I stretched out on my back just to be on the safe side. The last thing I wanted was to throw up all over Sookie by accident. I'd done enough to piss her off in the last couple of hours without puking on her as well. When I closed my eyes again I didn't feel that same spinning motion anymore. Instead it just felt good, and it wasn't long before I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Thank you all for reading!  
**


	20. The Hangover

**I can't even defend my girl to you guys. She really was being immature. That is all.  
**

* * *

Chapter 19 - The Hangover

**SPOV**

Eric was still sleeping the next afternoon when I woke up, and I let him be. I was sure he was going to be feeling his hangover a lot more than I was mine, so I went to take some aspirin and got in the shower. The hot water felt really good on my skin, and I did my best to let it wash away my shitty mood, but it didn't totally work.

I can't even describe what I felt when Eric told me to get out the night before. I thought for sure he was breaking up with me. And then it didn't help that my first instinct was to go to Amelia. I felt ashamed of myself for fighting with Eric when I should have been embracing him and our relationship. Life was too short for this shit.

Still, I couldn't help but feel like we'd almost broken up. And it wasn't really even about him having had a threesome, though that did bother me. We had to deal with his sort-of lie first. But on top of all of that, we needed to get over our hangovers.

When I got out of the shower, Eric was still sleeping, so I got dressed and wrote him a note.

**Going out to get greasy hangover food. I'll be back by one.**

I left the note on the fridge and hoped he would see it. I left and went to the closest fast food place we had, which was a Wendy's, and bought us both the greasiest burger they had, and frostys for fry dipping. It was perfect hangover food.

I got back to the apartment a bit after one, and was immediately met with Eric hugging the breath out of me.

"I thought you left," he said as he squeezed me.

"I did, to get food," I said, and held up the bags in my hands.

"No, I meant for good," he breathed a sigh of relief as he let me go.

"What?" I looked up at him. He looked genuinely relieved. "Why would you think I'd leave you?"

"Because the last thing I remember is you telling me you were going to Amelia's last night after I... I didn't mean what I said," he dropped onto the couch. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"I know, sweetie," I said, and went to put the frosty's in the freezer before joining him. "I stayed here last night. You spooned me."

He sat back and rested his head on the back of the couch. Eric rubbed his eyes and said, "I'm pretty sure I threw up at some point, too. I didn't get you, did I?"

"I was vomit free when I woke up, so I don't think so," I said.

"Thank God," he said, again sounding seriously relieved.

"Are you hungry?"

"Starving," he rolled his head toward me. "How are you feeling? You look ridiculously beautiful if you're hung over."

"Thank you, but stop that," I said, and got up to get the bag of food.

"Stop what?"

"Flattering me. We're on time out."

"So I can't call you beautiful?"

"You can think it, but not say it. You're too tempting when you're being sweet."

"So then I guess I'm also not allowed to tell you how hot your ass looks in those shorts?"

"I'm serious, stop it. We have to talk still, and I'm not doing that until this damn headache is gone."

He chuckled and said, "I'll try to keep a lid on it."

"Here," I said, and handed him one of the burgers.

"Thank you," he smiled up at me.

"You're welcome."

"How long have you been up?" he asked as he unwrapped his burger.

"Not long. I took a shower and then went to get food. I left you a note on the fridge."

"You did?" he looked surprised. "I didn't even see it when I went in there for water, but then I don't think I had my eyes open the whole time. I kind of stumbled around until I got the blinds closed. Sunlight is definitely my enemy."

"I wore sunglasses to get the food," I said.

"Smart and beautiful," he said and when I glared at him while trying to fight a smile he added, "Sorry. Well, not really, but you know..."

"Just eat."

"Yes, ma'am."

"There's a frosty in the freezer for you to dip your fries in."

"You're awesome," he said after swallowing his mouthful of food.

I stayed quiet and started in on my burger. It was good, but I wasn't able to fully enjoy it because of the fight I was sure Eric and I were about to have. When he was finished Eric took his trash to the kitchen and came back with his frosty and a bottle of water.

"How's your head feeling?" he asked after a few more minutes of quiet.

"Better," I said.

"Good," he said, and held out the bottle of water. "This is for you, by the way."

"Thanks," I said, and took it from him.

"Did you sleep okay last night?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't get sick, did you?"

"No, I didn't."

"That's good," he sat back again, getting comfortable.

"How did you sleep?"

"I don't know," he said. "I woke up feeling like I slept with cotton balls in my throat, which is partially what makes me think I got sick. I have no idea what time I finally passed out, but I feel like I didn't sleep at all."

"Maybe we should go back to sleep after we eat," I suggested.

"Maybe."

I sighed, and laid my head back. "I think I'm just avoiding."

"Why are you avoiding?"

"Because I'm afraid we're going to have this talk and end up fighting again."

"That's entirely possible," he said. "But isn't it better to just get it all out in the open so we can get past it? I don't want to have to come back to this in six months because you've bottled it up, or aren't really over it."

"Then let's talk about it."

"Why don't we start with you telling me what you want to know," he suggested.

"I don't know what I want to know. I guess maybe you could explain the situation to me."

"It was with the woman I was seeing in college and another girl. It was a one time deal and it actually ended up causing some problems for us so we never did it again. I don't really think about it all that much because it didn't end up being that great of an experience for me," Eric explained. "It's just something that got crossed off the list. I have no interest in repeating it, especially not with someone like you."

"Why didn't you like it?"

"Honestly? Because I ended up feeling like a third wheel. It was weird," he shrugged. "I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't how it turned out, that's for sure."

"But was it like that because of who it was with?"

"You mean the other girl?"

"Or both of them."

"I'm not sure," he said. "They just seemed to get way more into each other. It got boring for me after a while, believe it or not."

"Is that why you forgot?"

"Maybe," he shrugged. "I just don't think about it very much. There's nothing from that night on the highlight reel, you know?"

"I'm sorry I got so upset about it," I said. "It was just that when you opened up to me about it I thought it was a big deal, and then to find out that there was a whole other person you omitted, on purpose or not, it's just kind of upsetting."

"I'm sorry that happened," he said. "It wasn't intentional, and I swear there are no more random vaginas in my closet."

"Why wouldn't you want to have a threesome with me?"

"You said last night that you wouldn't want to," he shrugged again. "And honestly, I couldn't picture you doing it anyway."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just that I can't imagine you in a group situation. It's not an insult, Sookie."

"It feels like one," I said.

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "If you have something to say, just spit it out. Don't get passive-aggressive with me."

"I'm not trying to be passive-aggressive, or picking a fight."

"I'm calling bullshit," he said. "I apologized for my fuck up last night and now you're insulted because I can't imagine you having a threesome."

I took a deep breath, and tried to figure out how to explain what I was feeling. It was then that I realized how ridiculous those feelings were. Wasn't it a good thing that he couldn't imagine me having a threesome and didn't want to have one with me? I definitely didn't want to try it in the first place.

"I know it's stupid, but I guess just knowing that you've done it makes me feel a little inexperienced and insecure, especially when you say you can't see me doing it."

"Sook, you should never put yourself in a situation that you're not comfortable with, and this is something you're not comfortable with. I did it because I was curious about what it would be like, and now I know. It's not something I want to do again, and it's okay that you don't. I don't see you doing it because you've said that you don't want it. If you're feeling insecure about that, there isn't really anything I can do about it. You have to figure out why you feel that way," he said.

"So what if I'd said that I did want to try it? Would you have still not been interested because you couldn't see me doing it, or maybe because you didn't like it?" I asked.

He sighed and rubbed his temples a little bit before he asked, "What difference does it make? It's not happening either way so why does it matter?"

"Because I'm trying to figure out if you can't picture me having one because I'd already said I didn't want to, or if there's just something wrong with me."

"Oh my God there is nothing wrong with you!" Eric yelled and then grabbed his head. "Sookie, you are making way too big of a deal about this. I remember you telling me last night that you didn't want to be with another woman and I told you then that I was fine with it. So not wanting to do the threesome thing again has nothing to do with you, Sookie."

"Ugh, what is wrong with me?" I said and put my head in my hands. "I know this isn't a big deal, but I can't stop pushing it."

"I'm too hungover to have this conversation with you right now," he grumbled, and covered his eyes with his arm.

"Maybe I should go," I suggested after a few minutes of tense silence.

"That might be a good idea," he said. "We're both hungover and we're not getting anywhere, and I don't want to get in another stupid fight with you."

"I don't either," I said, and stood up. "I'll... I guess I'll call you?"

"Yeah," he said, and moved his arm away from his face and added, "Still love you."

"I still love you too," I said, and tried not to cry. "I'm just going to grab a few things and I'll go."

"Okay."

I headed back to the bedroom and grabbed a duffel bag and started filling it with a couple sets of clothes and my bathroom stuff. I'd mostly moved into Eric's apartment, but there were still a few things at my place since my lease wasn't up yet. Once I had all the essentials, I went back out to the living room and set the bag down.

"I'm going now," I told Eric, who had his arm over his eyes again.

He moved his arm away from his eyes and said, "Okay. Call me when you're ready to talk."

"Okay," I said, and picked up the bag again. At the time I was a little hurt that he didn't seem to want to hug or kiss me goodbye, but looking back on it, I was sure that it was probably best that he didn't.

I grabbed my purse and keys on the way out, and quietly left.

**oOoOoOo**

It took me two days to work up the courage to call Eric. After getting over my hangover and sleeping on it, I realized how much of an immature child I was being. It honestly scared me that I would act like that, because really? Why would he stay with someone who treated him like I had?

"Hey," he said. "How are you?"

"Shitty, how are you?"

"Same," he said. He sounded exhausted. "So did you figure out why you're so hung up on this threesome thing?"

"Yeah," I said. "And it's completely stupid because there was no reason at all."

"Look, I get that it's usually a guy thing to want to see your girl with another girl, but I've done it. For me it wasn't that great of an experience, and since you're not into it I don't see a reason to try and convince you to change your mind," Eric explained. "And I can't figure out why you would be insulted by that."

"Because at the risk of quoting awesome songs, I want you to want me."

"I do want you. Wasn't that clear before the threesome talk even started? Because if it wasn't, I'd say that's a much bigger problem," he said.

"It was clear. I just mean that I want... you know what? It doesn't matter anymore. I don't even want you to picture it if it repulses you."

"I never said that," he sighed.

"It doesn't repulse you?"

"No, it doesn't repulse me. I just find it difficult to think of it as being sexy when you've made it clear it doesn't turn you on," he said. "Sook, when I close my eyes and think of you, there are no upgrades, no changes. I see you just the way you are all the time. I don't see a reason to improve you. I love you the way you are."

"So when you picture me in your head, it's not some version of me who does things you want, it's just me?"

"I don't turn you into a pornstar, no," he said. "Like I already told you, I'm happy with our sex life, and I know if I want to try something different with you all I have to do is tell you about it. You might say no, or might not be interested in it, but I can talk to you about it."

The relief I felt when he told me all of that only served to reassure me that it was never about the threesome to begin with. It was me and my own insecurities that were psyching me out. And I'd done something awful when I pushed those off on him and possibly made him feel bad about something he'd done in the past.

"I'm so sorry," I said.

There was a pause and then he said, "I forgive you."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" I asked. The tears had started already.

"Why do you always try to talk me out of good things, Sookie?" he asked with a hint of humor in his voice.

"I don't know," I cried. "I don't know why on earth you'd choose to keep putting up with me when I say such awful things to you."

"Because I love you," he said simply. "And you don't just give up when it gets hard."

"Then thank you for loving me enough to try."

"Do I get to see you later?" he asked.

"I was just about to head over to Amelia's if you want to meet me there," I said.

"I wish I could," he sighed. "I'm stuck at the office."

"Okay, what about after work? Should I come home?"

"Only if you want to. Otherwise I can meet you somewhere," he offered.

"I want to come home, Eric. I miss you."

"I miss you too," he said. "Then come home. We'll talk more later."

"I love you," I said.

"Love you too. See you later," he said, and then hung up.

I stuffed my phone in my purse, slipped my shoes on, and headed over to Amelia's apartment. I hadn't been in it since she died, and I knew it was going to be hard, but I had to get it over with eventually.

When I got there, I found a giant blonde man leaning on her door and smiled.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I decided I couldn't wait until tonight to see you," he said, and then pulled me into a kiss that I had been wanting for days.

"I needed that like you wouldn't believe," I sighed happily when the kiss ended.

"Me too," he nodded, and then leaned forward to kiss my forehead. "I'll let you get inside so you can do what you came here to do."

"You're not coming in with me?"

"If I go in there with you there's a distinct chance you'll be naked within five minutes," he warned me.

"Why?"

He lifted an eyebrow and said, "Make up sex. I've been thinking about fucking you up against a wall all day."

"Well that sounds like a lot of fun, but we're not doing it in Amelia's apartment. I'm going to be a snotsobbing mess in under a minute."

"You'll be fine," he pulled me into a hug. "If you want me to stay, I'll stay, but if you would rather do this on your own I understand."

"I think I'm going to need you," I said.

"Then I'll stay."

I took his hand, and we went into Amelia's apartment together. I was right. Within a minute I was crying. It looked so lived in, like she was about to come out of the bedroom and hug me. Nothing had changed, except that she wasn't there anymore.

There were a few things I needed to take care of immediately, like cleaning out her fridge, but mostly I just wanted to be there for a while. No matter how sad it was, it made me feel closer to her.

"What am I going to do with all her stuff?"

"I guess decide what you want to keep, what you can give away and the rest... I'm sure Tray and I can take care of it," he offered.

"I want to do something good with it," I said. "There's not much I should keep, just a few personal things. I mean, this is a fully furnished apartment, there must be something good we can do with it."

He thought for a moment and said, "You could talk to some charitable organizations and see if there's a family that might want to move in here. You know, like if someone lost their house in a fire, or a mom who's left an abusive husband or something... Or we could move in here together if it wouldn't make you too sad."

"No, I couldn't do that. It would be too selfish of me. I can't hold onto her forever. I think I'll see about moving a family in here. It's big enough. I could use a portion of the money to pay the rent for six months or a year depending on their situation. I think Amelia would be okay with that."

"I think she would definitely approve of that," Eric wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed my head.

"This is awful," I said, and wrapped my arms around him.

"I know," he hugged me back. "Just let me know what you want me to do."

"I think today we should just clean out the fridge."

"Sounds like a good plan," he said, and let me go so we could walk into the kitchen.

"Thank you for coming in with me."

"You're welcome," he said, and opened the fridge. There wasn't much in it for us to clean out.

"She was always bad at grocery shopping," I said.

"Well, in this instance it's probably good that she didn't have a fridge full of food," he said and started pulling things out of the fridge to hand to me.

"Yeah, but it makes me wonder if she knew."

"She did," Eric said. "When she came to me to do that estate planning stuff, she told me she knew her time was running out."

"Why didn't she tell me?"

"Because she didn't want you to start mourning her before she died," he said gently.

"Was she scared?"

"She didn't say, but I don't think she was. She was having those dreams of her mother and I think it gave her some kind of comfort that she wouldn't be alone after it happened, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. She said she knew her mom was going to be there for her."

"I read the letter she wrote me," Eric revealed. "I have to ask you something."

"What?"

"So," he smiled rather smugly. That was trouble. "When you married Jonathan Taylor Thomas, were you going to hyphenate your name, or just take his?"

"She told you?"

"She said you spazzed over me the same way you did over him when you were in junior high," he grinned.

"I did not!"

"I'm just going by what she said in her letter," he chuckled.

"Okay, I spazzed a little, but you were just so completely good looking, and everything I ever wanted in a guy. You can't make fun of me for spazzing."

"I wasn't making fun," he insisted, still chuckling. "I was asking you a legitimate question about your future plans. Making fun of you would have been asking if you wanted your wedding pictures printed in Teen Beat or Tiger Beat."

"Teen Beat. And I was going to take his last name," I smiled.

"Sookie Thomas..." he tried it out. "I don't know if I like the sound of it."

"It sounded perfect when I was fourteen," I laughed. "I like the sound of other things now though."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, and then handed me a bottle of champagne with a note stuck to it.

"What the heck?" I said, and pulled the note off to read it.

_Save this for when Eric proposes._

_Love, Ames_

"She's such a little shit," I laughed, and handed Eric the note.

He scanned it and then laughed.

"She's convinced I'm going to propose to you, huh?" he asked and handed the note back.

"Apparently so," I smiled. "She's pressuring you from beyond the grave. It's kind of impressive."

"That's Amelia," he sighed, and then added, "That was the last thing in the fridge."

"Should we do the freezer too?" I asked.

"Might as well. I should probably check for the top tier of a wedding cake in here," he joked as he opened the freezer portion of the fridge.

"What else did she tell you in that letter?"

"That you were lucky you called dibs on me," he said with another smug smile on his face.

"True," I chuckled. "She would have hit it and quit it."

"That's what she said," Eric said, and handed me a couple of bags of frozen vegetables. "She also said that she was jealous of what we have."

I frowned. "She had it with Tray though."

"She didn't think so," Eric told me. "She said there was potential, but she knew her time was running out so they were never going to find out for sure where it could go. She asked me to check in on Tray sometimes too since you're too much of a girl."

"They would have been great," I said. "I know it. And I'm glad she asked you to check in on Tray. I'm worried about him."

"I saw him last night. I think he's doing about as well as can be expected," Eric said, and pulled out a frozen pizza.

"Should we keep all this?"

"It would be a waste to throw it all out," he shrugged. "But it's up to you."

"We'll keep it," I said. "You know, maybe we should talk about how we feel about marriage."

"Okay," he said, and closed the freezer. "Let's talk about it."

"Is marriage something you want in the future?" I asked, and hopped up on the counter.

"Yeah, it is. How about you?"

"It is."

"Well that was quick," he smiled.

"There's more," I laughed.

"Okay. What else do you want to know?"

"When we had the pregnancy scare, we both agreed that marriage wasn't on the table," I said. "Would that be different for you now?"

"You mean if we got pregnant again?"

"Yeah. And I don't mean that if we got pregnant we should get married as a fix-all 'cause it's not."

"I think it's something we could seriously talk about," he said. "But the first words out of my mouth wouldn't be a proposal. I mean, you'd probably have to get me conscious again first."

"You didn't faint last time," I said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Well no, but last time we knew there was the possibility because of the broken condom, but it would be different now," he said.

"That's true. Just so you know, I'd say no if the first words out of your mouth were a proposal."

"I think we're still not ready for either of those things though," Eric said, and came over to stand between my knees. "I love you and I love being with you, but obviously we still have things to work on."

"I agree. I think we need to focus on living together harmoniously first. I guess I just wanted to know if you ever see yourself marrying me someday."

"Yes, I do," he revealed.

"Yeah?" I smiled. "I do too."

"I think if we could quit being so damn stubborn sometimes it would make things better," he said. "But I don't mind the making up part of fighting with you."

"I don't mind it either, but I wish the fighting part didn't happen so often. Do you think we're really going to last?"

"I don't think we fight that often," he said. "And I think you can do anything that you put your mind to, so as long as we want to be together I think we can find a way to make it work."

"I want to be with you," I said, and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Sometimes I get scared that one day you'll think I'm not worth fighting for, and I know that's ridiculous, but it really scares me. I think it's more about me being afraid of losing you."

"I'm not going anywhere, Sookie. I know I said some really stupid shit when we were fighting the other night, but that... I don't know where that came from. I was angry at the time, but I shouldn't have said it," he told me.

"I thought you were breaking up with me," I admitted.

"I don't know what I was thinking," he sighed. "But I promise, I wasn't thinking about breaking up with you."

"Good, because that feeling sucked."

"I'm sorry I did that," he said sincerely.

"I know you are, and I know you didn't mean it," I said, and kissed him gently. "You proved that when you almost immediately asked me not to go."

"I don't like the idea of not having you in my life anymore," he said.

"I don't like it either," I said. "And I think I owe you a bigger apology than you owe me. I was pushing my insecurities off on you, and that was so completely unfair to you."

"It was," he agreed. "I felt like I shared something with you, which is what you asked me for, and you threw it back in my face. But I shouldn't have told you to get out."

"If you had done the same thing to me, I would have probably done worse."

"I can be honest with you, Sookie, but you have to be willing to deal with it, and sometimes I'm going to say things that you don't like, or don't want to hear. You can't have it both ways, I'm afraid."

"I know," I said. "I'm just saying that I think you were justified in telling me to get out. It was the slap in the face I needed."

"I don't want it to come to that again," he said.

"I don't either."

He pulled me a little closer to the edge of the counter before he kissed me.

"Eric," I whispered when his kiss moved to my neck.

"Hmmm..." he said without moving away from my neck.

"We're not banging in Amelia's apartment."

"Okay," he said, but kept at it.

"Eric, I'm serious," I said, but even I could hear the breathiness in my voice.

He moved back to my lips and kissed me one more time before he pulled away.

"Let's get back to work," he said.

"Nope, we're done," I said, and hopped off the counter.

"I thought we were taking the stuff from the freezer with us? There's more in there."

"Then let's get it and go. There's make-up sex to be had."

"Yes there is," he agreed, and opened the freezer to hand me things.

I put all the food in the reusable grocery bags Amelia had, and then we headed back to our place. I felt better about being in Amelia's apartment, and planned to go back after we got back from her burial in New Orleans.

* * *

**Thank you all for reading!  
**


	21. Closer

**Really, really NSFW  
**

* * *

Chapter 20 - Closer

**EPOV**

"Ugh, Eric, harder," Sookie moaned underneath me.

We were both sweaty and were definitely going to need a shower when we were finished. I ground my hips against her, pushing into her harder than before. I sucked on that spot on her neck and her hips started rising to meet mine.

"I'm so close," she whimpered as her legs wrapped around my waist to pull me even deeper into her.

I reached between us and pinched her clit, and a few seconds later she lost it. She screamed with her release, and the tight squeezes of her pussy milked me of my orgasm as well. I dropped on top of her, breathing hard against her neck.

"I love you so much, baby," I said, and kissed her collarbone.

"I love you too," she panted.

I mustered up the strength to kiss her lips, and then rolled off of her.

"We don't have to get out of bed again tonight, do we?" I asked her.

"I hope not," she said, and stretched. "You just wore me the hell out."

"Yeah," I agreed.

"I hope you'll wear me out again in a little while," she smiled over at me.

"That can probably be arranged," I rolled onto my side so I was facing her.

"I love this," she said. "Just laying in bed with you. I know it can't always be this way, but I love it."

"It is pretty nice," I agreed, and moved to rest my head on her chest. I closed my eyes and smiled at the image there. "You know what? I think I found a way around that threesome thing we talked about."

"How's that?"

"There's two of you," I grinned.

She smiled and said, "You're a genius. I'd totally do me."

I laughed along with her and picked up her hand to kiss her palm.

"Now I'm imagining two of you," she grinned. "It's hot."

"I'm sure it is. You're a little freak sometimes," I teased.

"I've never gotten to let my freak flag fly," she said. "You really brought me out of my shell. I know you won't judge me for the things I like."

"I won't," I agreed. "Anything else you want to do that we haven't?"

"There's lots of things, but we have all the time in the world to try them."

"Name one. I'm curious."

"You kind of have me interested in anal," she said with a blush.

"Really?" I asked and she nodded. "That takes some time to prepare for."

"How do you know?"

"Research," I said.

"You're just a big nerd, aren't you?"

"I don't think that's nerdy. I think that's called being prepared," I told her. "Because if I just rolled you over and tried to do that, you'd be in a lot of pain."

"Well I really don't want that. Is it something you'd be interested in trying with me though?"

"I think it would add a little something interesting to the mix," I said.

"Then you don't think it's gross?"

"No, I don't think it's gross. I mean, as long as you're clean about it, that is, but I don't see you as not being the clean type," I told her.

"You're down there often enough to know how clean I am."

"Yes, I know you're very clean."

"It's you I should worry about," she said with a teasing smile.

"Me? Why me?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"Because one day I hope you'll let me try something on you."

"What's that?"

"I want to put on a strap-on and-"

"Veto!" I said before she could finish.

"You mean you're not into that?" she said, and started giggling.

"Sook, if I don't want to be with another dude with you there, why would I want that?" I pointed out. The thought did absolutely nothing for me.

"Please tell me you know I was fucking with you," she laughed. "I have zero interest in putting anything up your ass."

"Good, because that is definitely an exit only area," I told her.

"So p-spotting is off the menu too, huh?"

"I think that's a safe assumption."

"Damn, cause I was actually interested in that one."

"Why?"

"I've been told it's intense and the best happy a guy ever feels."

"I see."

"Still a no?"

"For now. Maybe someday I'll change my mind," I shrugged.

"That's fine," she smiled. "You want to know one of the other things I want to try?"

"What's that?"

"Sex in public."

"Freak," I smirked. "Or maybe that falls into the dirty girl category."

"Dirty girl. Freak is whips and chains, which I'm not into."

"I don't think an interest in those things makes someone a freak," I said. "But I'm not into that either."

"No it doesn't, but it would make me freaky," she smiled. "I think spankings are as far as that goes. Though I like being tied up."

"You've been tied up before?" I asked, since I couldn't remember if we'd talked about that before.

"Nope, but I like the idea of it."

"So now would be a good time to tell you I have a pair of handcuffs in the closet?" I asked her.

"Why do you have handcuffs?"

"Because you never know when they might come in handy," I smiled at her. "They've never been used, just so you know."

"Then maybe you should go get them," she grinned.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

I kissed her stomach and then rolled out of bed to dig out the handcuffs I knew I had in the back of my closet. They'd been a gag gift from a co-worker two years before, and they'd been sitting in my closet, still in their box, since I brought them home. I found what I was looking for, and brought the box back to the bed to hand to Sookie.

"Okay, before we do this, we need rules," she said.

"What kind of rules?" I asked her while she opened the box.

"We need a safe word just in case."

"Okay. Pick a word."

"Stop can mean keep going with you," she smiled. "It needs to be simple though. Any ideas?"

"Ummm... how about Christmas?" I suggested.

"That could work. Easy to remember and shouldn't be shouted out in the middle of sexy times."

"I would hope not," I laughed. "So what other rules?"

"No pain, obviously. At least for now I'd like to see you, so no blindfolding. And if you almost make me come but then not let me more than three times, I will... think of something mean to do back to you."

"That's fair. So then no spanking while you're cuffed?" I asked her just to be sure.

"That would require me to be cuffed in a different position I think."

"Nah," I shook my hand, and when she quirked an eyebrow I pick up her legs and held them up before slapping her ass. "See?"

She grinned and said, "You can totally spank me while I'm cuffed. In fact, that's another of the things I want to try. I think I could probably get off just from you spanking me."

"I told you so," I said, and took the cuffs from her. "So where should I cuff you?"

"What do you think would be best?"

"The headboard is the obvious choice," I jutted my chin toward it. "But there are the posts at the foot of the bed, too. I guess whatever would make you more comfortable."

"Let's try the headboard and see how it feels."

Sookie stretched out and put her arms over her head. I got the cuffs on her and made sure the key for them was easy to reach on the nightstand. I could only imagine how pissed off she would get if I told her I lost the key. Even if I was just joking I was pretty sure I'd be sleeping on the couch for a month.

"How does that feel?" I asked her once the cuffs were secured.

"Not bad," she said, and shifted around a little. "I think I need another pillow. And maybe we should wrap a sock around each of my wrists first. I have a feeling these are going to hurt when we get into it."

"Those are easy fixes," I said, and uncuffed her so we could make all the necessary adjustments. When I got her back in place a few minutes later I asked, "Is that better?"

"Much," she smiled. "Now what?"

"I've got a few ideas," I smirked at her.

"Want to start with kissing me?"

"Maybe," I said, but crawled away from her face.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm not sure yet," I said, trying to figure out where to start, and I knew it was driving her a little nuts that I was taking my time. Sookie and patience weren't exactly symbiotic words.

"I told you where to start."

"But it isn't up to you," I winked at her.

"Oh this is going to be interesting."

"You sassing me?" I tried not to laugh at the expression on her face.

"No, sir," she said.

I figured I had to play my cards right with that or she wouldn't want to do it again. She might not anyway, but if it was a positive experience she would more than likely want to do it again. Truthfully, she looked really hot cuffed to the bed like she was, and so I leaned down and rewarded her with one of those kisses that made her toes curl and her panties wet, if she had been wearing any.

"Now you're getting it," she said when I pulled back.

Yeah, we'd see if she still felt that way when I moved to the foot of the bed and started stroking myself, which was exactly what I did a few moments later.

"You're evil," she said, and squirmed around a little, trying to get some friction between her legs.

"I'm sure you'll figure out a way to get revenge," I said. I could practically see the wheels turning in her head even as the words were coming out of my mouth.

"I will," she said. "You're so fucking hot right now."

"I'd tell you to touch yourself, but..." I trailed off, and she narrowed her eyes at me.

"You touch me," she said. "Please, baby?"

When I started my touching nothing but her leg, Sookie groaned in frustration, but then my hand started moving up further and further. I inched closer to her again, still stroking myself. I touched her lightly and watched her nipples get hard and the goose bumps break out on her skin.

"Open your legs for me, baby," I said, and she slowly parted them for me before bending her knees so her feet were planted on the bed.

I could see how wet she still was from the make-up sex, and having her legs open meant she wasn't getting any of the friction she wanted. I kept inching closer to her until I was between her parted legs. Still, I kept stroking myself. I brushed the head of my cock against her clit, and she groaned as her eyes closed.

"Eyes open, Sookie," I said, and slapped her ass.

"Yes, sir."

I kept rubbing the head of my cock against her clit, and when her hips started to writhe a little bit I pulled back and started stroking myself again. Sookie glared at me, but then moaned when I slid two fingers into her instead.

"Put your legs up in the air and cross your ankles," I told her. The look on her face was priceless.

Sookie lifted her legs and closed her ankles, which I knew would make my fingers feel bigger inside her. Not only that, she would be able to get a little friction on her clit while I fingered her. What I'm sure she wasn't expected was for me to pull my fingers out and move them down to her ass. The way her eyes went wide told me she was taken by surprise.

Just like before I didn't actually penetrate her, just pressed against the opening.

"Like that, baby?" I asked, and pressed a little harder when she didn't answer me right away.

"Yes," she gasped, and the way her legs started to tremble I knew she was either close to coming, or the strength in her legs was giving out.

"You close, Sookie?" I asked her.

"No," she shook her head.

"How are your arms?" I asked since I didn't want her to be in pain.

"Getting a little numb, but it's okay. Keep going," she said.

I moved a little closer to her and pulled her legs so they could rest on my shoulder. She could see my arm moving as I stroked myself but she couldn't actually see my hand moving over my cock, which had to be driving her a little crazy. I'd found out quite a while ago that she got super turned on by watching my jerk off, and I didn't mind doing it for her. Whatever got her motor running was fine with me.

But eventually I knew I was either going to have to finish myself off or start fucking her and I wasn't ready to do either of those things quite yet. I moved closer to the head of the bed, but stayed far enough away that Sookie wouldn't be able to use her mouth on me. I seriously don't know how I got so lucky as to not only find a girlfriend who loved giving head, but was a fucking natural at it the way she was. She had to be if she had only been with two other people.

I bent down and found that spot on her neck that made her whimper and moan, and then stopped stroking myself so I could reach down and rub her clit. I moved my lips around the upper part of her body, kissing and nibbling her skin while my fingers worked her clit, until she was pleading with me to fuck her. Figuring I'd stalled long enough, not to mention my hard-on was starting to hurt, I shifted around again so I was back between her legs and thrust into her just a little bit.

For a dozen or so thrusts I only put an inch or two of my cock into her, and just when she was starting to get a little frustrated, I thrust in the rest of the way. Her eyes went wide and she cried out at being filled like that, but when she demanded I do it again, I couldn't deny her. I pulled almost all the way out and then thrust into her hard and deep.

"Yes!" she cried out, and I heard the cuffs rattle against the headboard.

I repeated the move a couple of times, and then stilled deep inside her while I leaned forward to kiss her. When she started to squirm I reached between us and rubbed her clit until she came.

"Oh fuck!" she shouted, her pussy gripping my cock over and over, and it felt fucking amazing.

"Put your legs back up, baby," I told her, but I had to help her.

Her ankles rested on my shoulders and I started to thrust slowly at first, but quickly picked up speed. She whimpered when I slapped her ass, but the look in her eyes told me she liked it. I turned her lower half she so was resting on her hip, and that gave me better access to her ass. I pressed a finger against her back entrance and she moaned loudly as my thrusts got a little faster. She came again a few minutes later and I put her on her back again.

"Spread your legs nice and wide for me, Sookie," I said, and looked down to watch myself fuck her until I felt like I was going to come.

At the last second I pulled out of her and finished on her stomach. Sookie was pulling hard against her restraints, but I needed a minute to collect myself. She seemed to know that and waited a few minutes before trying to get my attention.

"Eric, I can't feel my arms."

I reached over and got the cuff key from the nightstand to free her arms. As soon as she was released Sookie lowered her arms and I started rubbing them to help get her circulation going again.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"I'm not sure what I am," she said. "All I know is I can't feel my bones."

"Awww baby, I'm sorry," I apologized. "We don't have to do that again."

"Don't be, I can't feel them in the good way," she smiled. "We should definitely do that again."

"You sure?" I asked as I kept rubbing her shoulders.

"Definitely," she said. "It was amazing. I'm glad it was with you too, because that took a lot of trust."

I smiled and asked, "Did you have a favorite part?"

"Perhaps."

"Wanna tell me what it was so I know to do it again?"

"It was when you were jerking off and I knew I couldn't help you even if I wanted to. But I also knew that if you really wanted me to help you, you would have. Your pleasure was totally up to you and you were more interested in getting me off first, even when you were being a tease."

"I'm glad you enjoyed that," I said. "Anything you wouldn't want me to do again?"

"Not really. There wasn't anything I outright hated. It would be interesting if we got some sex toys involved next time."

I arched an eyebrow and asked, "What kind of toys?"

"Vibrators," she shrugged.

"Hmmm..." I said, my mind already flooding with possibilities.

"Are you against toys?"

"Not at all. I think they can add to the fun of things," I said, and let go of her arms when Sookie pushed herself to sit up.

"Good," she smiled. "And how would you feel about me tying you up someday?"

"I wouldn't have a problem with that," I told her.

"Good, because I really want to do it to you."

"Oh really?" I smirked, but that wasn't really a big surprise to me.

"Yes, really," she grinned. "The idea of having you at my mercy is really hot."

I laughed, which had her narrowing her eyes at me. "I'm sorry, Sookie, but it's just not that big of a surprise to me."

"Why is that?"

"Because there's a part of you that gets off on control," I said simply. "You like giving blowjobs and there are times when you pin my arms down. It's hot."

"I do?"

"You never noticed?" I quirked an eyebrow again. How did she not notice?

"I knew I liked giving blowjobs, but I didn't realize I pinned your arms down."

"Not all the time, but you've done it a few times."

"And you really like it?"

"I do," I said, and remarkably she blushed a little bit. "Confidence is sexy, and it takes confidence to do something like that."

"I feel like I've been fairly confident with you. More than I've ever been in the past. I'll have to pay attention next time I do that. It's probably really hot."

"It is," I nodded. "How are your arms feeling now?"

"I can feel my hands."

"That's an improvement. I think we could both use a shower," I leaned forward and kissed her. "I'll go start the water."

"Thank you, baby."

"You're welcome," I said, and got up off the bed.

I went to the bathroom and started the shower so the water would warm up a little bit. Sookie came in a minute later and once I saw steam starting to billow up, I pulled the curtain back so she could get in first. I followed behind her and pulled the curtain back into place.

"So I think the next time we play with the handcuffs you should be the boss," I told her while I lathered up my hair.

"I would like that," she smiled. "I hope you'll like it too."

"I'm sure I will."

"I'm really glad you're so open about all this sex stuff."

"Well, if we don't talk about the things we like and the things we don't that's not good, and I don't ever want to do something you don't like. I don't want you to be afraid to tell me you don't like something either, or to tell me that you wish I'd do something more... it's important stuff to talk about," I reasoned, and then rinsed my hair.

"Then in the spirit of being open," she said as she lathered up her own hair. "There is something I wish you'd do more."

"What's that?" I asked, and stepped out of the way so she could rinse off.

"You don't spontaneously jump me anymore."

"I don't?"

"Not really. Not unless it's make-up sex. I remember when I could just be making toast and you'd put me on the counter and fuck me just because."

She was right about that. I had done that more than once.

"I can do that," I told her.

"Are you sure? I mean I know you can kind of only do that if things are happening for you."

"I think you underestimate me," I said, and pushed her against the wall so she was boxed in.

"Sweetie, I love you, but unless you're just planning on going down on me, I'm going to have to say no."

"You've had a rough night," I smiled at her. "But I promise to sneak attack you more often."

"And you also promise to go down on me right now?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"Is that what you want?"

"I do now," she smiled. "And I may have to give you a blow job as a thank you."

"You're too good to me," I said, and leaned down to kiss her.

**oOoOoOo**

Two days later Sookie and I were standing in a cemetery in New Orleans where Amelia's ashes were being interred with her mother. I had an arm around her shoulders while she silently cried through the small service. Copley wisely kept his distance from us. The majority of the people at the second funeral were Copley's business associates and old friends of Sookie's that I knew she was itching to introduce me to. We had gotten in too late the night before to do much else besides check into our hotel and go to bed.

We had a five hour drive ahead of us to get back to her hometown, but I was looking forward to seeing it. She didn't talk about Bon Temps very often, but when she did her face always lit up a little. I knew she had plenty of bad memories from her childhood, but there were probably even more good ones. I was excited to see her hometown and the places that she talked about with a big smile on her face.

First we would have to get through the funeral, and that was proving to be difficult enough. When the preacher was done saying his prayers and whatnot, Copley invited everyone to a nearby hotel for a luncheon, but I knew Sookie had no intention of going. The last thing she wanted was to sit in a stuffy ballroom with Copley, who had done nothing but insult his daughter for most of her life. I knew it sickened Sookie that he was playing the role of the grieving father when he didn't seem to give a shit about Amelia when she was still alive.

The other mourners started to go their separate ways and I asked Sookie, "What do you want to do?"

"I guess we have to eat," she said. "We can go do that then get on the road if you want."

"It's all up to you. If you don't want to go to the luncheon we don't have to," I told her. I just didn't want her to be miserable any longer than she had to be.

"I don't want to go to that fake ass shit."

"Then let's just go back to the hotel and get checked out," I said, and kissed her forehead. We started walking toward the rental car and I asked, "Was that true what Copley said about Amelia wanting to be a world class ballerina?"

"Not even close. He put her in a ballet class when she was seven and she hated it with a passion."

"So then it also wasn't true that she spoke three languages?"

"She, much like Bruce Willis, spoke only two languages. English and Bad English."

I chuckled and said, "That sounds about right. Was anything Copley said in his eulogy accurate?"

"That Amelia was, in fact, his daughter."

"Hard to believe," I sighed, and opened the car door for her.

"Amelia and I both agreed that she got nothing from her father."

"I don't think that's true," I said. "I think she got her stubbornness and determination from him. She just never aimed at the things he wanted her to."

"That's true," she said.

Sookie got in the car and I went around to the driver's side. Once I was behind the wheel I asked, "Do you want to stop somewhere else for lunch?"

"Yeah, I think I could eat."

"Is there anywhere special we should go?" I asked her as I started the car.

"Actually, there's this place Ames and I used to go. We should go there."

"Just tell me where," I said, and put the car in gear.

Sookie directed me to a restaurant just outside of the French Quarter. We were seated at a table outside. It was as humid in New Orleans as it was in Chicago, which is to say that it was steamy as hell outside. The food was good, though, and I was glad Sookie recommended it. Her spirits seemed to lift a little, and she had nothing but good memories of Amelia to share, which was exactly what she needed after the bullshit at Amelia's other funeral.

"You know, I had imagined us coming down here for a totally different reason."

"Oh yeah? What reason?" I asked her, and finished off the last of my sweet tea.

"A vacation."

"Well, we can come back another time and you can show me everything there is to see down here," I promised her.

"We'll have to do that."

"Where else do you want to go?" I asked her since we had never really talked about the places we wanted to see before we died.

"Europe," she smiled. "There's tons of places in Europe I want to go, but definitely Europe. And Hawaii. I want to see the Grand Canyon. The Pacific Ocean. India. South Africa."

"Well, I've seen the Pacific Ocean," I told her. "And I've been to Hawaii twice. Senior year of high school I drove to the Grand Canyon with a couple of buddies during spring break and we camped at the bottom of it. It was pretty cool."

"Will you take me there someday?"

"Where?" I had named too many places to know which one she was referring to specifically.

"All of them," she laughed.

"Yeah, I think I can do that," I smiled at her.

"What about Europe?"

"I've never been to Europe, but there are places there I'd like to go as well."

"What are they? I'll take you somewhere."

"Oh, Dublin, Prague, Barcelona, London, Berlin... just to name a few," I shrugged.

"I'll take you to them all," she smiled.

"Maybe we should start planning a trip," I suggested. "It might be fun to spend the New Year in one of those cities."

"Somewhere warm," she said.

"We could go to Athens or Italy. It might still be warm there that time of year. We'll have to do some research," I said, and took the bill from our waitress when she brought it over.

"Are you sure it's not too soon for us to take a European vacation together?"

"Why would it be too soon?" I asked as I pulled my debit card from my wallet.

"I don't think it is," she said. "At least it doesn't feel too soon."

"Besides, by the time Christmas rolls around we'll have been together for almost two years. That's the longest I've ever been with someone," I told her, but she already knew that.

"Same here," she smiled. "I'd love to take a trip with you."

"Then we'll look into it," I said.

"I love you."

"I love you too," I said, and handed the bill to the waitress as she passed by us again.

Once we were all paid up we walked around the French Quarter for a bit before going back to our hotel to check out and start the drive up to Bon Temps. I let Sookie drive the first leg of the trip. We figured we'd stop and switch at the halfway point as long as the gas tank held out that long. The scenery was beautiful, and by the time we stopped to gas up the car, Sookie was yawning and ready for a nap.

I drove the rest of the way and was grateful for the GPS in the car or I wouldn't have had a clue where we were going. I woke Sookie when I was pulling off the highway, and her face lit up when she realized how close we were to her hometown.

"I can't wait for you to see where I grew up," she said. "Jason said he went to the house and opened the windows to air it out for us."

"Awesome," I smiled, and turned left at the end of the ramp like the GPS told me to.

"We should go there first to drop off our stuff, then we'll go to Merlotte's."

"Merlotte's?" I glanced over at her, and then made a right turn onto Main Street. I had yet to see a stop light.

"It's the local watering hole," she said. "My friend Sam owns it, and that's likely where my brother and everyone else will be anyway."

"Gotcha. So, does this town have any stop lights?"

"Nope."

"That's insane," I shook my head. "How many people live here?"

"About five hundred."

"Wow," I said, and when I turned onto Hummingbird Lane Sookie started to bounce in her seat.

"I can't believe I haven't been here in over three years."

"When is the last time you were back?" I asked her, and nearly missed the turn for the driveway.

"Amelia and I came back the summer before I met you," she said.

I came to a stop in front of an old white house that had peeling paint and a porch swing hanging in front of the big picture window. The house obviously needed a little work, but I barely had the car in park before Sookie was throwing off her seatbelt and jumping out of the car. I turned the car off and got out to follow her up the front steps.

"So this is home sweet home, huh?" I asked while she unlocked the front door.

"Yes it is," she said, and grabbed my hand to pull me inside with her when she got the door open. "Oh good, Jason took off the dust covers."

I looked around at all the little nicknacks and pictures on the walls. There was a grandfather clock off to the side but it wasn't wound up. One look at the furniture had me convinced I would break it if I wasn't careful how I sat down. Sookie flitted from room to room, checking one thing or the other, and talking a mile a minute about the history of the house. And then we got to her room.

"And this was the room I grew up in," she said after we walked in.

"It's very... girly," I smiled as I looked around at the butterfly wallpaper and the small shrine still on the walls that was dedicated to the boys she'd had a crush on as a teenager.

"I'm a girl, in case you didn't know."

"I think I got a memo on that," I said, and flopped back on her old bed. The springs creaked and there was no way I would be able to sleep on that tiny twin bed with her. "No wonder you were a virgin until college. Your grandmother would have caught you in a heartbeat having sex on this bed."

"It was less about the bed and more about my brother threatening every guy who was interested in me."

"I don't blame him. I don't want any other guys touching you either," I smirked up at her and rested my hands behind my head.

She smiled and climbed on top of me, sitting on my thighs. "You know, you look pretty sexy right now."

"You're just saying that because of all the Jonathan Taylor Thomas porn on your walls," I teased.

"Then you won't be surprised when I yell out Jonathan in about fifteen minutes?"

"Only if you won't be surprised by the spanking you get after it," I said, and grabbed her hips.

"I promise I won't be," she smirked, and rotated her hips a little.

"Well then," I said, and managed to flip us over without tossing her on the floor in the process. "Now you have a better view," I said as ground my hips against hers and kissed her.

"You're so sweet," she giggled, and her hands went to my ass.

* * *

**Thank you all for reading!  
**


	22. My Town

**NSFW  
**

* * *

Chapter 21 - My Town

**SPOV**

"Are you nervous?" I asked Eric as we pulled into the parking lot of Merlotte's. I'd called Jason and made sure he was there.

"No. Should I be?"

"I don't think so," I said. "I was just hoping you weren't."

"I'm good," he said and kissed the back of my hand before getting out of the car.

"I should warn you," I said after I got out of the car too. "There are going to be a lot of girls hitting on you in there. And I don't mean like they do in Chicago. I mean like they do here. Being hit on by a redneck could pass for assault in most places."

"Oh really?" he laughed.

"I should have had you wear a jock strap. Your balls might be bruised by the end of the night with how often they're going to get grabbed."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Well maybe you just stand in front of me all night," he suggested.

"I might have to," I smiled.

"Well lead the way," he said, and reached for my hand.

As soon as we walked in the door my brother spotted me and yelled, "Sook!" The next second I was almost bowled over by him when he hug attacked me. "It's so good to see you."

"Hey Jase," I laughed and hugged him back. "I have someone for you to meet."

"Oh yeah, your man," he said, and looked Eric up and down. "This him?"

"Jason, this is Eric. Eric, Jason."

"Nice to meet you, Jason," Eric extended a hand to my brother.

Jason took his hand and shook it. "You treat my sister right?"

"You'd have to ask her, but I think so," Eric said.

"He treats me better than okay, Jason," I said.

"Good," he said. "By the way, Sook, Bill is here."

"Bill?" Eric lifted an eyebrow.

I looked at him and said, "Jackrabbit."

"Which one is he?" Eric asked, scanning the crowd.

I looked around, spotted Bill chatting up a girl at the bar, and quietly pointed him out to Eric. "The guy with the helmet hair talking to the girl in the denim mini skirt," I said.

"Are you taller than him?" Eric asked, which wasn't the reaction I was expecting.

"About a half inch," I said.

Eric chuckled and asked, "What did you see in that guy?"

I shrugged, and said, "He was charming. And the first guy to hit on me without Jason around. Plus he's from here."

"And you've teased me about my standards in the past," he nudged me, but I knew he was just goofing around.

"At least both of our standards have improved drastically," I chuckled.

"Amen to that," he agreed. "I'm going to go get a drink. Do you want anything?"

"Gin and tonic," I smiled. "Jase, where are the guys?"

"Over at the pool table," he said.

"Eric, I'll be over there," I said, and pointed to the far end of the bar.

"I'll come find you," he said, and kissed me quickly before going to get us drinks.

"Alright Jason, let's go get me hugged," I said, and he took my hand.

There were so many people from my past playing pool, and every last one of them came up to give me a hug. First and foremost, Jason's friends. Hoyt, JB, and Rene all gave me hugs and asked how I was doing, and they all whispered to me that I looked hot so Jason wouldn't hear them. Eric came back with my drink after that and I introduced him to the guys.

"Nice to meet you guys," Eric said, and shook hands with each of them.

"Sookie Stackhouse?" a familiar voice asked from behind me, and I turned around to see my old friend Sam standing there.

"Hey Sam," I smiled, and he came up to give me a hug.

"You are a sight for sore eyes, girl," he said.

"I've missed you too," I smiled. "You got yourself a girl yet?"

"I did for a while, but it didn't work out," Sam said as he pulled back. "But it seems you're not here by yourself."

"Nope, I brought my man," I said, and pulled Sam over to Eric. "Sam, this is Eric Northman. Eric, this is Mr. Merlotte himself."

"Nice to meet you," Eric and Sam said in unison as they shook hands.

"Nice place you've got here," Eric followed up. "Sookie's been excited about coming here since we got into town."

"That's good to hear. It's been a while since we've seen each other. I'm sorry about Amelia, but I'm glad you could come up for a couple of days," Sam told me.

"I am too," I said. "I just wish it was for a different reason."

"Me too," Sam agreed, and then a waitress I didn't recognize came over and whispered something in his ear. "Excuse me for a minute. There's a problem in the kitchen."

"We'll be here when you're done," I said, then turned to Eric. "So what do you think?"

"I think you're very popular with the male citizens around here, not that I blame them," Eric smiled at me.

"You been hit on yet?" I asked with a smile.

"My balls don't hurt, so I'd say no," he said with a laugh.

"Just wait," I said as I spotted the resident doorknob coming over.

"Sookie?" she asked.

"Hey Dawn."

"And who's this tall drink of tequila," she asked and didn't hesitate to slap Eric's ass.

"I'm with Sookie," Eric said, and removed Dawn's hand from his ass.

"That's a shame," Dawn said, and looked him up and down. "We could have a lot of fun together."

"We still can," he said.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Is that so?" Dawn asked. "Cause I was just fixin' to go back to my place."

"Oh, well don't let us stop you," Eric smirked, and wrapped an arm around me.

"Oh is it that you want Sookie to come too? I'm okay with that. I always wanted to see if her tits were real or not."

"You'll have to keep wondering about that," Eric said. "And she's the only one I want to come tonight. Sorry."

Dawn glared at him, and I laughed.

"Come on, Dawn, did you really think that would work now?" I asked her.

"It was worth a shot," she shrugged, and went back to the bar to get another drink.

"Good job, sweetie," I told Eric, and grabbed his ass.

"Careful with the merchandise," he teased. "Or do you turn into a sloppy redneck when you're here?"

"Depends on how many gin and tonics I've had," I grinned.

"Sook, could you not do that in front of me?" Jason asked. "I don't think I could kick his ass."

"She can't keep her hands to herself. You should see her when we-"

"Whoa, Eric, buddy, we don't talk like that around here about Sookie," Hoyt said. "Believe me, we all think it, but we don't say it."

"You all think it, huh?" Eric was amused, but my cheeks just kept getting redder.

"Oh yeah," JB said. "It's that wanting what you can't have thing. And Sookie has never been on the menu."

"Boys? What the hell?" Jason asked. "Stop talking about my sister like that!"

"Your sister's hot, Jason," Sam said as he rejoined the party. "Maybe we can get her to dance on the bar again like she did last time she was in town."

"You danced on the bar?" Eric poked my side.

"Perhaps," I said, and blushed a little more.

"I've got video," Sam offered.

"Video, huh? And you said you never let your freak flag fly," Eric pinched my ass.

"I said I never let my sexual freak flag fly," I said. "There's a difference. And Sam? Get rid of that video."

"I'd like to see that video," Eric volunteered.

"I could put it up on the big screen," Sam offered with a cheesy grin on his face that got a glare from Jason and a slap on the arm from me.

"Sam, I'm warning you," I said.

"Good thing your bark is worse than your bite," Sam winked, and then dodged another slap.

"So how many gin and tonics before I get to see you dance on the bar?" Eric asked me.

"Too many that I won't be drinking," I said.

"You're no fun," Eric shook his head.

"You couldn't handle a redneck drunk me, and that's what I turn into here."

"I handled you just fine on St. Patrick's Day," he said.

"Did she ask you to go skinny dipping in the Chicago River?" Sam asked. "Because Sook'll drag you out to the nearest creek and-"

"Sam!"

Sam and the rest of the peanut gallery started laughing while Eric looked at me curiously.

"I warned you," I told him.

"It sounds like there might be a whole other Sookie I need to get to know," Eric smiled at me. "Someone get this girl another drink!"

"You totally sure you want to meet her?" I asked.

"Absolutely," Eric grinned and then kissed me.

"I think it's time for a round of Wild Turkey," Sam said, and then went off to the bar to get a round of shots.

"Oh hell," I rolled my eyes. "Okay, you cannot make fun of me when my accent comes back."

"I won't," Eric said. "I'll think it's sexy. You know it gets thicker when you're angry?"

"Does it?"

"Oh yeah," he nodded. "Very much so. It's cute."

"So Eric," Jason said, and clapped him on the shoulder. "You planning on making an honest woman out of my sister?"

"Sookie and I haven't really talked that far ahead yet," Eric said.

"And who says I'm not being honest?" I asked Jason.

"I just don't want my baby sister living in sin for too long," Jason said.

"And do you plan on making honest women out of all the girls you've loved and left?" I asked.

"I'm a lover, Sook. It's what I do."

"I wonder how their brothers feel about that," Eric said, which Jason obviously didn't like.

Jason was about to respond when Hoyt and JB came over and distracted him with the pool game again. I was thankful. The last thing I wanted was for Eric and Jason to hate each other.

"Is your brother always a hypocrite when it comes to your love life?" Eric asked me once Jason was gone.

"Always has been, always will be," I sighed, and finished off my first drink. "He just needs the right girl to come along."

"I hope she's got all her shots," Eric joked.

"Believe me, I do too."

Sam came back with the round of shots, and Eric and I both took one. We joined in on the next game of pool, and about an hour and many drinks later, I was feeling pretty damn buzzed.

Eric was bent over, about to take his shot when I slapped his ass so hard he flubbed it.

"Whoops," I giggled.

"I'll show you whoops," he handed his stick over to JB and then chased me around the pool table.

"I was just tryin' to put a little hitch in your giddyup," I laughed, but he caught me pretty fast.

He wrapped his arms around me from behind and bent to whisper in my ear. "If you're going to do that we should go out to the car where there are no witnesses, dirty girl."

"I'm not nearly drunk enough for that yet," I said.

"You've never had sex in a car before?" Eric asked me.

"Once," I said. "That's where I lost it."

"Sookie, is that you?"

"Bill! Hey, Bill!" I shouted, and went to hug him.

"How've you been? You look beautiful," he said as he hugged me tightly.

"Thanks, Bill," I smiled when I pulled out of his hug. "I've been good! Have you met my sexy boyfriend, Eric?"

"Uh, no, I can't say I have," Bill looked past me to Eric. "Nice to meet you."

Eric nodded, but there was no friendly handshake like there was with the other guys.

"So how long are you in town for?" Bill asked.

"A couple days," I said. "We're just here to see some of the old gang, but we have to get back."

"We should have lunch while you're here, you know, get caught up a little," Bill suggested, and that was when Eric put his arm around me.

"Shots are up, fellas!" Sam called out as he set down a tray with a fresh round of Wild Turkey.

I picked up my shot and threw it back before answering Bill.

"Of course we can have lunch," I said. "Eric and I can meet you here tomorrow around two?"

Bill flicked a glance at Eric, and then looked back at me, "Uh, yeah, sure."

"Awesome! Does that sound good, sweetie?" I asked Eric.

"Yeah," he said, but looked tense.

"Great! Well, we're going to get back to our pool game, but you're welcome to hang around," I told Bill.

"I'd like that," Bill said with a big smile.

"Your turn, Sookie," Eric tugged on my hand.

"You okay?" I asked Eric when we were back by the table.

"Fine," he said, and handed me my stick.

"Good," I smiled, and stretched up to kiss him. He was a little stiff about it though. "Loosen up, you big oaf."

"Just take your shot," he gestured to the table.

I frowned, and said, "Fine."

I took my shot, and missed completely.

"Ugh. I'm going to get another drink."

"Stay out of trouble," Eric said, and held onto my stick for me.

I scoffed, and headed up to the bar, where I ordered another gin and tonic. I hadn't noticed until he started talking, but Bill followed me.

"So how long have you and Eric been seeing each other? Is it serious?" he asked.

"Over a year now," I smiled. "It's pretty serious. We're living together."

"Oh," Bill said. "That's good."

"What about you? You seeing anybody?"

"I was for a while, but Selah and I, we uh... it didn't last," he told me, and ordered another beer. "Are you and Eric happy?"

"I'm sorry about that," I said, and rubbed his arm comfortingly. "But yeah, Eric and I are very happy."

"Looks like he's got a bit of a jealous streak," Bill looked past me to where Eric was standing at the pool table watching us.

"No, he's not a jealous person at all," I laughed. "He's the settler."

"The what?" Bill looked confused.

"You know how in every relationship there's a reacher and a settler? I'm the reacher, he's the settler. He has nothing to be jealous of. He also says there's no point in jealousy."

"Did he say he was settling?" Bill looked angry.

"No! If he actually said that I'd probably smack him," I laughed. "I just know that he's better looking than me. That's okay though. He's not a cheater."

"Sookie, you're insane if you don't think you're the prettiest girl in this bar, if not the parish," Bill said sincerely. "And I bet you Eric knows it, too."

"Aww, Bill," I said, and teared up a little. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. "You're so sweet."

"Just being honest," Bill said, and kissed my cheek.

"Well thank you."

"You're welcome," he said as I pulled back. "Wanna dance?"

"I'd love to, but I should get back to the game."

"Maybe later then," he suggested.

"I'll save you a dance," I smiled.

He smiled at me and then took his beer with him as he disappeared into the crowd. I went back to the pool table, and asked Eric for my stick. He gave it to me along with one hell of a kiss.

"Whoa," I said when the kiss ended. "That made me a little dizzy."

"Good," he smirked, and then slapped my ass before moving around the table to take his shot.

As soon as he did, I handed my stick to JB and told him to play for me, then went around to Eric and grabbed his hand.

"Come with me," I said, and started pulling him through the crowd.

"Where are we going?" he asked, and leaned his stick up against the wall near the door.

"I'll tell you when we get there," I said.

I pulled him through the back hall, and past the restrooms and storage room to the little employee bathroom that mostly just the kitchen staff used. I locked the door behind us, and pushed him up against the wall.

"You're helping me with one of my fantasies," I grinned, and kissed him.

"I don't think you should tie me up here," he said between kisses, and even while I was kissing him at one point.

"Not that one," I giggled. "The sex in public one."

"Oh," he said, and then yanked my skirt up. "I'd be delighted."

"I thought you would."

"You should probably be against the wall, though," he said, and tried to turn us around, but I wasn't budging.

"Not just yet," I smiled, and my hands went to his pants. "I have another fantasy about giving a blow job in public. Let's kill two birds with one stone."

"Then by all means," he said, and dropped his hands to his sides.

"Good boy," I said, and got on my knees.

I stared up at him and kissed the bulge that was starting to form in his pants while I worked his fly open. Since he wasn't totally hard yet when I freed his cock, I was able to get it all in my mouth, and the way his eyes rolled back in his head you'd think he'd died and gone to heaven. I sucked and stroked him until he was hard as a rock and panting and groaning. His hands were in my hair and I had a hand in my panties, touching myself while I worked him.

When Eric pulled my head away he helped me stand up, but instead pinning me against the wall as he had suggested earlier, he bent me over the sink and turned my head to kiss him. He tugged my panties down just enough and his fingers slid through my folds before gliding into me. I had been close to coming when he'd stopped me, and I was more than ready for him. I had been wanting to do this for as long as I could remember, and just knowing it was going to happen was a big enough turn-on.

"So wet for me, dirty girl," he said against my lips, and then replaced his fingers with his cock. "Fuck yeah," he groaned, and held onto my hips as he started to pull out.

"Feels so good, sweetie," I said, gripping the porcelain sink hard so I didn't lose my balance.

Eric slammed back into me, and I had to bite my lip to keep from screaming. Part of the fun of this was knowing we could get caught, but not actually getting caught. He pounded into me fast and hard, moving one hand to my shoulder and the other moved around to my front so he could rub my clit.

"You're going to be walking around the bar with my come dripping out of you," Eric growled in my ear. "That's so fucking sexy, baby."

I moaned loudly and felt the pressure in my belly reach its maximum. When Eric sucked on that spot on my neck I fell over the edge and came hard, covering my mouth to stifle my moans and cries. Eric followed right behind me, filling me just like he said he was going to. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if I emerged from the bathroom with a small hickey on my neck.

He pulled out of me slowly and pulled my panties back up before I could even think about cleaning myself up. I turned my head and he kissed me while rubbing against my ass. When the kiss broke he moved to my ear and whispered, "I'm going to fuck you again when we get home, and I'm not going to stop until you scream my name."

"Is that a promise?" I asked.

"It's a guarantee," he said, and put my skirt back where it belonged.

"I love you," I smiled up at him.

"I love you too," he said, and then laid another one of those kisses on me.

* * *

**Thank you all for reading!  
**


	23. Drunk and Disorderly

**NSFW  
**

* * *

Chapter 22 - Drunk and Disorderly

**EPOV**

After the quickie in the bathroom, which was one of the hottest things I'd ever done, I switched to water. I kept a close eye on Bill, the ex-boyfriend who had deflowered my girl. I didn't like that he was always getting in her personal space. Usually I wasn't the jealous type, but for some reason with that guy it was different. Maybe it was because he knew what my girl looked like naked, or because he'd once had access to her in a Biblical sense.

Whatever the reason, I heard this voice in my head every time he got near her and all I wanted to do was drag her back to the bathroom to fuck her all over again. At one point we were dancing, not long before we left the bar, and I asked her, "Do you think anyone knows that I had my cock inside you less than an hour ago?"

Sookie's eyes widened, her cheeks flushed but she pulled me into a kiss that damn near had me starting another round right there on the dance floor. I forgot how horny we got when we were drunk. We had a hard enough time keeping our hands off of each other to begin with, but since alcohol definitely loosened up any inhibitions that Sookie had, she was definitely the girl most likely to get naked while intoxicated. We stuck around the bar long enough for her to have a few more drinks and for me to drink enough water to sober up.

I was still a little bit buzzed when we left the bar but I was sure I was okay to drive us the two miles back to her old farmhouse. I barely had the car in gear when Sookie was unzipping my pants and reaching into them to start stroking me.

"You're still going to keep your promise, right?" she asked with an adorable pout on her face.

"Yes, ma'am," I smirked at the road ahead, and tried not to let my eyes roll when she leaned over the console between us to start sucking me off.

Not only did her inhibitions go right out the window, but so did her brain to mouth filter since she released me from her mouth so she could say, "I fucking love your cock. I want to suck it all the time. I love getting on my knees for you."

"I love it too, dirty girl," I said, and turned into her driveway.

"I was so naughty tonight," she said, batting her eyelashes. "I sucked cock in public. I got fucked in a bathroom…"

"And you're about to get fucked again, dirty girl," I warned her, and parked the car.

"You have to catch me first," she said, and jumped out of the car. I chased her up to the house and it was a good thing—albeit surprising- that she'd left the door unlocked.

Sookie didn't get very far before I caught up with her. I tossed her over my shoulder and carried her to the nearest bedroom, which just happened to be the room that was once her grandmother's when she was younger. I dropped Sookie on the bed and yanked her shirt up over her head while she tried to wiggle out of her skirt. I tore off her panties, and when she turned over I pinned her so she was face down on the mattress.

I reached between her warm thighs and easily got two fingers into her. She moaned and pushed her ass up a little. What a lovely invitation that was. I plunged my fingers in and out of her a few times before moving them up to her other entrance, and she moaned when I pressed against her opening.

"I want to fuck your ass so bad right now, baby," I whispered in her ear, and she moaned again.

I couldn't do it, though, because she wasn't ready for that yet. We were starting to work on it, but I knew I could very easily finger her there while I fucked her pussy, so that's exactly what I readied myself to do. I got my jeans open with my left hand while I started to work my fingers into her on my right hand.

"Eric, fuck me," she groaned impatiently.

"Turn over, dirty girl," I said, and moved my hand out of the way so she could do that.

"You're not naked," she pouted.

"Not yet," I said, and climbed up onto the bed.

I sat against the headboard and Sookie scrambled into my lap. She pulled the cups of her bra down and stuck her perfect tits right in my face. I latched onto one of her nipples without thinking twice, nibbling and sucking hard while she positioned my cock at her entrance. It was going to be a long night for us both.

She let gravity do its job and pull her down. She moaned as I filled her, and I then reached behind her to start playing with her ass again. Sookie stilled on top of me for a moment, and then gasped when my fingers penetrated her. She started grinding against me, rubbing against my pubic bone while she rocked. I switched to her other nipple, and made sure my fingers moved at a counter rhythm to the way she was rocking against me.

It didn't take long for her to come the first time, but she didn't scream my name. That just meant I needed to work a little harder. I slid down some so that Sookie ended up with her chest pressed against mine. She kissed me hard, nibbling on my bottom lip and for a moment, sucking my tongue the way she would my cock. My hips started to thrust up into her fast and hard, and I knew I was hitting the right spot inside her when she started to cry out with every thrust of my hips.

"Eric! Eric! Eric!" she shouted over and over as her pussy started to clench around my cock.

Her muscles tightened around the fingers that were in her ass, and her orgasm pulled mine from me. I couldn't remember ever coming that hard in my life. It felt like it started in my toes, for fuck's sake. I roared with my release and I'm pretty sure I slapped her ass purely out of reflex or something, but that just seemed to set off a round of powerful aftershocks and made her whimper and tremble on top of me.

"Goddamn," I muttered, and then turned her face to mine to kiss her.

"New number one?" she asked.

"I think so," I sucked in air.

"Just imagine what it's going to be like when we actually try anal," she said, then started giggling.

"You're going to want it all the time," I predicted just to see her reaction.

"Maybe not all the time," she said. "You're kind of huge."

"You won't notice that so much after we do it a couple of times," I shrugged.

She raised an eyebrow at me. "I'm pretty sure it's always going to be a little uncomfortable at first."

"I guess we'll find out," I said, and then kissed her one more time before rolling out from under her so I could go wash my hands.

"You seem confident that we'll be doing it more than once," she called out to me.

"It'll be up to you," I answered, and as I was drying my hands I walked back to the bedroom and said, "Sam told me something I think you should know."

"What?"

"He said that things with Bill and his ex were good until he found out you were coming back into town. He broke up with her two days later," I told her.

"What?!"

"You heard me," I said, and tossed the towel to the side.

"But why? It's been so freaking long since we were together. We didn't even love each other. And he was awful in bed! Small penis."

I grinned at that and said, "Well maybe he got a taste of something he likes. I can't say I blame him, but you're taken."

"Maybe we shouldn't go to lunch with him tomorrow."

"Or maybe we should go and I should get you off under the table," I suggested.

"That's kinky," she grinned.

"Yep," I said, and climbed back onto the bed. "But if you don't want to, we don't have to. We can just tell him that you're too hungover to keep the date."

"We'll figure it out later. I'm kinda surprised I actually agreed to it."

"I'm kinda surprised I didn't punch him when I saw him kiss you," I confessed.

"He kissed me?"

"Your cheek," I said and touched the spot where I'd seen him kiss her.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let him do that."

"It's okay. I trust you," I told her. "I know it didn't mean anything to you."

"He was being really sweet to me though," she said. "He told me I was the prettiest girl in the whole parish."

"At least he's got good taste," I said, and lay back against the pillows.

"No kidding," she laughed. "He also told me I wasn't a reacher."

"A reacher?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"I'm the reacher in this relationship," she said. "You're the prettier one."

I stared at her like she had two heads. Was she serious? She couldn't be.

"You're drunk," I shook my head.

"Yes I am," she giggled. "I'm the reacher, and you're the settler."

"No, I'm not," I said, sitting up quickly. "I didn't settle for you, Sookie. I'm a lucky bastard to have you."

"I know you are. But you could totally get someone hotter. It's okay. I'm okay with not being the pretty one."

"You're right, you're not the pretty one," I said, and her frown deepened. "You're the gorgeous one and you are the best thing about this relationship."

"I am not!"

I grabbed her face and looked into her eyes when I said, "Yes, you are. You are the best thing in my life."

"Eric," she said, and teared up. "You're the best thing in my life too."

"Of course I am. You settled for me," I said, and kissed her before she could argue.

But that didn't stop her from protesting when we had to break apart for air. "No I didn't. Being with you isn't settling. It's perfect, and right, and everything I've ever wanted."

"Even when I'm being a fuck up who can't figure out how to tell you the stuff you want to know?" I asked her.

"Even then," she nodded. "Because you know it. And you haven't done that in a while."

"I try not to," I said. I knew it bothered her and I was working on it, but it wasn't something I could just change overnight. Sookie seemed to accept it, as long as I kept trying, and it only made me love her more.

"I know you do," she smiled. "And I love you for it."

"This is going to sound really random, but is it just me or are you hungry too?" I asked her after a few minutes.

"Starving."

"We should have gone grocery shopping earlier," I said.

"Dammit. There's a twenty-four hour wal-mart we could go to."

"I think we might be a little too drunk for that," I said. Driving two miles from Merlotte's was one thing, but going to Wal-Mart in the middle of the night was something else.

"Oh yeah. We could always walk to Bill's house to see if he has any frozen pizza."

"Oh hell no," I said quickly.

"It's food, Eric."

"It's Bill, Sookie," I glared at her.

"So?"

"Do you really want to go over there now?"

"I don't know why not? Why do you look like you're about to yell?"

"Because I don't think going to your ex-boyfriend's house in the middle of the night is a good idea, that's why."

"Eric, you'd be with me. And we both have sex hair."

"And that just further proves my point!"

"What point?"

"That going to Bill's house is a bad idea."

"But why?"

"Because it's the middle of the night, we're drunk and he's your ex who obviously wants to get back in your pants. It's not happening," I said firmly.

"It's not like he's ever going to get back in my pants!"

"Fine, then go, but I'm not going with you," I told her.

"Why are you acting like this?"

"Why do you want to go by your ex-boyfriend's house so bad?" I fired right back at her.

"To get food! How could you accuse me of anything more than that?"

"I didn't accuse you of anything! I asked you a question, and one I think I have every right to ask. If I wanted to go by an ex-girlfriend's house in the middle of the night would you be okay with that?"

"No, because women are sneaky, but we're both hungry, and Bill's house is the only option. If you'd rather go hungry, then fine, we won't go."

"If you want to go, then go," I told her. "I'm staying here."

"I'm not going if it upsets you."

"I don't trust that guy. I saw the way he was looking at you, and then all the compliments about being the prettiest girl in the parish and trying to get you to dance with him..."

"That's why I didn't want to go alone!"

"I'm not going over there, Sookie."

"Then I'm not either."

"Fine."

"Why are you so upset?"

"I'm not upset. I just don't like Bill," I said.

"That's fine, but you're upset. I don't get it."

"I'm not upset," I argued.

"Okay," she scoffed.

"I'm not."

"Okay!"

I stretched out and put my hands behind my head, even though what I really wanted to do was get up and take a shower. I knew if I did, though, Sookie would take it personally. I wasn't upset, but she wanted me to be. At least that's the way it seemed.

"Screw this," she said, and got out of bed. "I'm going to get us some food. I'll just walk to the store."

I just kept quiet. Anything I would have said right then would have been wrong anyway.

"Anything in particular you want?" she asked as she slipped on her shoes.

"No," I said.

"Fine. I'll be back in a couple hours."

"Sook." I sighed.

"What?"

"Get back here," I said as I sat up.

"Why?"

"Because I'm not letting you walk to the store alone in the middle of the night," I said.

"But you'd let me walk across a graveyard to my ex-boyfriend's house alone in the middle of the night?"

"No."

"You weren't going to go with me."

"I wasn't going to let you go either," I told her. I had no intention of letting her walk over to Bill's by herself.

"You told me to go by myself."

"I know what I said. That doesn't mean I was going to let you go," I shrugged.

"So you were going to forbid me or some shit?"

"No, but I was prepared to block the door," I said honestly.

"If you're that bothered by the idea of me going over there, then just ask me not to go. Don't pull this shit."

"I shouldn't have to ask you," I said. "We have no business going over there in the middle of the night."

"Eric, this is Bon Temps. I used to go borrow baking ingredients from Bill's mom in the middle of the night when I was baking my emotions."

"Yeah, and did Bill's Mom want to fuck you?" I asked her.

"That's why I wanted you to go with me!" she yelled.

"We're arguing in circles," I shook my head. "Just do whatever you want to do, Sookie. I give up."

"Then I'm walking into town," she said, and left the room.

I growled in frustration, but I didn't follow her. I thought about it, but we were both pissed off by that point and the walk would have been nothing but tense. Of course I told myself I wasn't going to worry about her, that she was going to be fine, but then an hour passed and she wasn't back. I had figured she was exaggerating about the walk, but then a second hour passed and I was seriously considering getting in the car to go find her. Unfortunately I had no idea what store she had gone to, or which direction she had gone. A half an hour later I was sitting out on the porch swing when I saw her coming up the driveway.

I felt like an ass. I didn't like Bill and I had taken it out on her, which wasn't fair. I got up and ran toward her to take the bags she was carrying. Thankfully they weren't too heavy, but I still felt like a total shit.

I set the bags down on the graveled driveway and said, "I'm sorry I was a dick. I would have come to get you but I didn't know where you went."

"It's okay," she said, and wrapped her arms around me. "I was being inconsiderate."

"No, I was pissed about Bill and I took it out on you, and that wasn't right," I said, and lifted her face so I could look into her eyes. "Forgive me?"

"Only if you give me a foot rub."

"Deal," I said, and then leaned down to kiss her. For a few minutes the food and any hunger we were feeling was completely forgotten. Kissing was much more important.

"I love you," she said between kisses.

"I love you too," I said, and picked her up by her legs, which she wrapped around my waist.

"Carry me back?" she asked.

"Yes, dear," I said, and then resumed kissing her.

"Wait! The food!"

"Shit," I muttered. "I'll bring you inside and then go back for it."

"I can walk the rest of the way," she laughed. "Don't want a stray animal getting the bags."

"Better idea," I said, and set her down. I picked up the bags and then said, "Jump on my back."

"You're perfect," she said, and hopped on.

"If I was perfect you wouldn't have walked all that way by yourself," I said as I started up the driveway.

"Stop that right now. We both needed to cool off."

"Yeah," I agreed, knowing that was true.

When we got to the porch Sookie slid off my back, and opened the door for me. She led the way to the kitchen and I set the bags on the counter beside the fridge.

"So, what'd you get?" I asked her.

"Stuff for breakfast in the morning, a couple frozen pizzas, some chips. Just enough to tide us over until tomorrow."

"You go put your feet up. I'll make us food," I told her. It was the least I could do.

"Thank you, baby," she said, and kissed my cheek, then headed into the living room.

I put the groceries away and got the old oven preheating before finding her stretched out on the couch with her eyes closed. I lifted her legs and sat down before setting her feet in my lap. I pulled her shoes off and dropped them on the floor. When I started rubbing she made what I can only call 'sex noises,' and within two minutes I had to think about something gross or boring to keep myself from pouncing on her.

"That feels so amazing," she moaned.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," I said, and started moving up her calf.

"Are you angling for some make-up sex, mister?"

"Not yet," I smirked, and switched to her other leg.

"I'm game if you are."

As was pretty much always the case, I'd take sex over food anytime. It was another hour before the pizza finally got in the oven.

* * *

**Before you guys start in on Sookie, please remember that homegirl was drunk as a skunk. All she knew was that she was hungry and there was probably food a short walk away. Everyone remain calm. Annnnd thank you for reading :)  
**


	24. Helping Hand

**So I failed on the updating thing for a couple days. I'm sorry about that. I had my somewhat lame reasons, and I hope you can forgive me.  
**

**NSFW  
**

* * *

Chapter 23 - Helping Hand

**SPOV**

We were back in Chicago, and Eric was back to work, which meant he was working long hours to make up for the time he missed. That meant a lot of alone time for me, but I didn't totally mind it. It was nice to be by myself and get used to not having Amelia around anymore. I needed it. I spent a lot of time in her apartment getting things together to be donated, and figuring out what to keep. The best thing that happened was something I wanted to share with Eric when he got home. I'd found a family to give Amelia's place to.

It was a mother and her two girls. They reminded me a lot of Amelia and I. The mother had lost her husband in an accident, and she couldn't find decent work. She lost her house within six months, and had no one to turn to. I found her in a shelter, where she had to take her girls for meals. They were living in a very seedy motel in an awful part of town that her pay from her job at a convenience store barely covered. After talking to them all, I decided I wanted them to have the apartment. I'd even help her find a better job so she wouldn't have to leave the girls alone at night. I just wanted to run it by Eric first to see what he thought.

He got home late that night, and I was already dozing on the couch. I snapped out of it when he laid down and put his head in my lap.

"Hey, baby," I smiled down at him and started running my fingers through his hair.

"Hey," he said without opening his eyes.

"Tired?"

"Completely wiped out," he yawned. "I have to stop working fifteen hour days."

"They'll be over soon enough," I said. "Are you hungry or do you just want to go to bed?"

"I had dinner delivered at the office," he said, and snuggled into me a little.

"Then how about we go to bed? I'll even give you a nice, relaxing massage."

"Someone needs to call heaven and tell God he's missing an angel," he said with a sleepy smile on his face.

"I'm sure he knows," I chuckled. "Come on, go collapse on the bed, I'll undress you."

"Only if you undress you too," he cracked an eye open.

"If you want me to," I smiled. "But I think you're a little bit too tired for that."

"I'm never too tired to see you naked," he said, and then rolled off of me. For a minute I thought he might just crawl into the bedroom, but he got up and walked.

"Then I'll get naked, but no sex," I said as I followed him.

"Believe it or not, I'm okay with that. I'm too tired to wow you," he said, and flopped on the bed.

"Sweetie, you could wow me even if you were just laying there doing nothing."

"Sweet talker," he smiled at me.

"Let's get these clothes off," I said, and untied and pulled off his shoes. He unbuttoned his shirt, and took off his suit jacket for me. "You know, this would have been a good night to fuck you in your suit."

"Maybe tomorrow," he said with a lazy smile. "I should be leaving the office at a much more reasonable time tomorrow."

"That sounds good."

I finished pulling his clothes off, and then took mine off too.

"You should be naked all the time," he said as his eyes traveled over me.

"Careful, tiger," I said. "Jr. is getting a little riled up. I might have to give you a handjob to calm him down."

"That wasn't what I was expecting you to massage, but if you want to..." he winked.

"I think I will," I said as I climbed onto the bed. "You deserve it after a long, hard day."

"How was your day?" he asked, and shifted on the bed so we were eye to eye.

"It was good. I think I found someone to move into Amelia's apartment."

"That's great, baby," he smiled at me.

I told him all about the woman and her girls, and asked him what he thought.

"I think you should go with your gut. If it's telling you this is the family you should help, then you should listen to it. You're a smart woman with good instincts," he said.

"My gut is telling me it's the right thing to do. She doesn't know what I can offer her, so she had no reason to lie about any of it. I'm definitely going to do a little research first, but those poor girls shouldn't be raised in a motel. And their mother is doing the best she can."

"It's easy enough to verify her story with newspapers, county records, police reports and all that stuff," Eric said. "And those girls definitely need a safe, reliable place to live. It'll take some of the strain off their mother if she knows her kids are safe. You're doing a great thing here, Sookie. Amelia would be proud of you."

"Thank you," I said. "I know she would. Those girls reminded me a lot of Ames and I."

"Well hopefully this will be the break their mother needs to get back on her feet. It can't be easy having to start over with two kids depending on you."

"I'm sure it's not."

"You're changing their lives," Eric smiled at me again and leaned forward to kiss my forehead.

"I just hope it's enough."

"I think it is."

"Will you come with me when I tell her?" I asked. "I'll make sure it's after you're off work."

"Sure," he said. "Just let me know when and where."

"I will. Now how about that massage?"

"I'm ready whenever you are."

"On your stomach," I ordered.

"Yes dear," he said, and rolled over.

I opened the drawer of the nightstand and pulled out the massage oil, and straddled his thighs.

"When you're ready for the other part of this, tell me, and you can roll over," I told him.

"Assuming I stay awake," he said over his shoulder.

"Then maybe I should start with the handjob, and then put you to sleep with the back massage."

"I think either one is going to put me to sleep, to be honest."

"Choose."

"Nope, this was all your idea so you pick. I'm too tired to make decisions."

"Your shoulders are awful tense," I said as I rubbed them. "But I really, really enjoy getting you off."

"There's always tomorrow," he said with another big yawn.

"So maybe I should wait on the massage until tomorrow when we have more time to enjoy each other."

"Whatever you want."

"Roll over," I said, and moved off of him.

Eric rolled over and put his hands behind his head. "Do your worst."

I straddled his thighs again, then leaned down to kiss him.

"Remember to warn me before you come so I can swallow it," I whispered, then kissed his neck.

"Yes ma'am."

Less than fifteen minutes later we were curled up together under the covers, both of us with satisfied grins on our faces.

"Feel better?" I asked him.

"Uh huh," he said with a goofy smile on his face.

"Good," I said, and kissed his nose. "You'll get the back massage tomorrow."

"You're too good to me," he said, and pulled my face to his to give me a very sweet kiss.

"I think you have that backwards."

"I don't," he said, and rolled on his side. "Now turn over so I can snuggle you."

"Yes, sir," I said, and gave him one more kiss before doing as he asked.

oOoOoOo

The next morning I woke up early to make Eric breakfast before he left. I didn't always do it, and I felt like I should. I hardly ever had to leave the house to do my job, so I usually slept in. I was making toast when Eric came into the kitchen.

"Hey baby," I smiled at him. "Do you want jam or peanut butter for your toast?"

He walked over and nuzzled my neck for a few seconds before he said, "Surprise me."

"Done," I said, and leaned back into him. "That feels nice."

"You smell good," he said and nibbled on my ear.

"Thank you. I do shower on occasion."

"And I'm grateful for it," he said, and moved my hair out of the way so he could kiss my shoulder.

"I'll bet you are," I smiled. "Are you feeling a little affectionate this morning?"

"You were very nice to me last night," he said, kissing his way back to my neck. "I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything, but if you're in a giving mood..."

His hands moved down my hips and then around my front to sneak under the old t-shirt of his I was wearing. I didn't have underwear on so it didn't take much for him to find what he was looking for. He stroked me slowly, laying gentle kisses on my neck and shoulders as he touched me. I turned my head and his lips caught mine. He was minty fresh, and just as our tongues started to tangle up his fingers started to press into my entrance just a little bit to draw my wetness out.

He was a master at getting me off, and it wasn't long before I was bracing myself on the counter in case my knees gave out when I came. Eric was rubbing up against my ass and I knew he was definitely going to need attention of some sort, but he didn't seem to be at all concerned with that. Instead he focused completely on me, curling his fingers just right to find that magic spot inside me, and colors exploded behind my eyes.

"Jesus, Eric!" I yelled.

"Want more?" he asked, his fingers still moving.

"Yes," I panted.

So he kept going until I came a second time and by then his toast was cold.

"See what happens when you wake up for breakfast in the morning with me?" he asked in a smug, teasing kind of way but I was too blissed out just then to care.

"Eric?"

"Mmhmm?" he answered.

"Fuck me, please?"

He smiled against my neck and said, "I have to get ready for work."

"Eric, please. You need it."

"Oh I need it?" he asked, and turned me around before lifting me up onto the counter.

"Yes, and so do I," I said.

It was a good thing he was already naked, and since he was ready to go all he had to do was slide into me. My arms and legs wrapped around him, and despite his protests that he had to get ready for work he didn't go as hard and fast as I thought he would. In fact, dare I say, he actually made love to me on the kitchen counter. That was a new one. I was breathing hard against his neck, having already had my third orgasm of the morning, when he finished with a satisfied grunt and his hands tightly gripping my backside.

"That was new," I said when we'd both calmed down a bit.

"New bad or new good?" he asked, and brushed some of my hair away from my face.

"New very good," I smiled. "It wasn't what I expected at all."

"I'm glad I could surprise you," he smiled back and kissed me sweetly. "But now you've made me late for work, dirty girl."

"At least eat your toast before you go," I said.

"After my shower," he said, and kissed me once more before departing for the bedroom.

I hopped down off the counter on shaky legs, and went to the bathroom off the hall to clean up before going back to the kitchen to finish making Eric's toast. He got strawberry jam because I'd made it myself. I sat and ate the scrambled eggs and sausage I'd made until Eric came back out looking sexy as fuck in his suit.

"I don't know how I don't jump you on sight when you put those on."

"Later," he smirked. "Maybe I should start calling you greedy girl instead of dirty girl."

"I am a little greedy," I smiled. "Can you blame me though?"

"Not really. I kind of like sexing you up first thing in the morning," he said, and picked up a piece of his toast. He took a bite and his eyes rolled a little. "Is this the jam you made?"

"Yes it is," I grinned. Points for Eric.

"Smucker's ain't got shit on you," he said, and took another bite.

"Thank you, sweetie," I said. "You know what I love about you sexing me in the morning?"

"What's that?" he asked as he poured himself a glass of juice.

"I love that we will both be thinking about it all day."

"Yes we will," he smiled. "What are you doing today, by the way?"

"Research on that family," I said.

"Sounds like a good way to spend your day," he said, and took another bite of his toast.

"Hopefully."

"Well," he said as he took the last bite. "I should be home by four. How about we go out to dinner tonight?"

"That sounds good."

"I'll even wear my suit," he offered with a wink.

"Will you fuck me in it after we get home?"

"If you'd like," he said, and drank the rest of his juice.

"I'll think about it," I smiled. "I may want you to be slow and sweet tonight."

"We'll figure that out later," he said, and bent to kiss me. "I have to get going, but I'll call you when I'm leaving the office."

"Okay. I love you."

"Love you too," he said, and headed out.

After he left I took another shower and cleaned up the kitchen before getting down to the research I had to do. I was able to confirm everything she told me through internet research and a few phone calls, so I was fully prepared to offer her the apartment. I wanted to do it sooner rather than later, so I decided to ask Eric if we could go tell her after dinner. Or maybe even take her and her girls to dinner and tell her that way.

"Hello, gorgeous," he said when he answered my call.

"Hey handsome," I smiled.

"How's your day going so far?"

"Good, I just finished my research," I said. "That's why I'm calling."

"What'd you find out?"

"She's legit. I really want to do this as quickly as possible before something awful happens. I'm afraid the state is going to take her kids away."

"Okay, so call her and set things up," Eric said calmly.

"She doesn't have a phone. I was thinking we could go see her after dinner, or take her and her kids with us."

"Either one works for me. It's all up to you."

"Okay, I'll go down there right now to catch her before she goes to work," I said.

"Okay," he said. "I'll be leaving the office within the hour so I'll meet you at home."

"Great. Thanks sweetie. You're the best."

"You're welcome. Good luck."

We got off the phone, and I headed down to the shelter where I'd found Holly. She was getting her girls dinner when I found her.

"Hey Holly," I said as I walked up to her. "Hello girls."

They both said hi back and continued to eat their meal.

"Can I talk to you in private?" I asked Holly.

"Yeah, sure," Holly smiled at me, but looked nervous at the same time. "You girls stay here and I'll be right back."

She led me over to a more secluded spot in the corner of the room, and asked me nervously if everything was okay.

"I have an offer for you," I smiled. "Recently someone very important to me died, and she left me more than I know what to do with. I want to give you and your girls a place to stay, and I want to help you get back on your feet."

"You're pulling my leg," Holly said with a look of disbelief on her face.

"I'm not," I said. "She left me her apartment, and if I don't give it to you it'll just get sold to someone with too much money who could easily find somewhere else to live. I'm willing to pay the rent for the first year. It's in a great neighborhood, a great school district, and it would be a good area for you to find a job in."

Holly's eyes filled with tears and she said, "Sookie, I... I don't know what to say..."

"Please just tell me you'll think about it. I'd love to take you and the girls out to dinner with me and my boyfriend tonight. We can talk it over and show you the place. It's entirely up to you. But I can see that it's breaking your heart to not be able to give your girls the life you wish you could. You don't deserve what's happened to your family, just like my friend didn't deserve what happened to her. I only want to help you."

Holly pulled me into a bear hug that was so tight I could hardly breathe.

"You have no idea how much this means to me, Sookie. I don't want to lose my girls, so if that means swallowing my pride, I'll do it for them," she told me. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," I smiled. "Just do right by those kids, and I'll be happy."

Holly nodded emphatically as she pulled back and said, "I will." She sniffled and added, "I would love to go out later tonight, but I have to be at work early. I promised I'd take an extra shift for a co-worker. But I could meet you for lunch tomorrow while the girls are in school."

"That brings me to my next gift," I said, and pulled a phone from my purse. "It's a prepaid phone, so it's nothing fancy, but it should last you at least a couple months. My phone number is in there. Call me anytime tomorrow and I'll meet you."

Holly lifted a shaking hand to take the phone and burst into tears.

"Come here," I said, and pulled her into my arms. "You and your girls deserve to be happy."

Holly got herself under control and said, "I just... I don't even know what to say. Thank you is... it's not enough. No one has ever been this nice to me."

"Don't say thank you, just take this opportunity and don't waste it. I have a feeling that you won't."

"I won't," Holly said with determination, and dabbed at her face. "Ugh, I'm shaking right now. I'm sorry I'm such a mess. Just... thank you, Sookie. Really, this... my girls..."

"Don't be sorry. I just know this is right," I said. "Your girls are so, so lucky to have a mom like you."

"No, I'm lucky I have them," Holly shook her head, and took a few deep, raspy breaths while she tried to calm down.

"That's why you're a great mom," I smiled.

"I just hope they think so," she sighed. "It's been so hard on them without their father and I try to keep up... I just want us to end up in a place where I don't feel like I've blinked and missed their lives, you know? It's bad enough they lost their dad. I don't want them feeling like they've lost me, too."

"They can't feel like they've lost you when you're their rock."

"I guess only time will tell on that one."

"They'll understand when they get older. They'll see the sacrifices you made for them."

"I hope so," she nodded.

"Have a little faith," I smiled, and hugged her again.

"I'm sorry about your friend. If she was as good a person as you are, I'm sure the world lost someone incredible," Holly said.

"It did," I said. "But she'd be incredibly happy to see what came out of her loss."

"I'm sure she would."

"I don't want to keep you, and I should be going to meet my boyfriend," I said. "Promise you'll call me tomorrow?"

"Yes, absolutely I will. Thank you again, Sookie. Really, you have no idea..." she trailed off when she started to tear up again.

"I think I do," I smiled.

We hugged again, and I left the shelter to call Eric.

"Hello," he said and I could hear the smile in his voice.

"I think she's going to do it," I said. "She can't come to dinner tonight, but we're going to have lunch tomorrow."

"That's great, Sook," he said. "I'm just coming from the mail room. I may have some good news for you when I get home."

"What is it?"

"Nope, I'm not telling you until I get home," he said.

"Then I'll meet you there," I said.

"Yes you will. I'll be there soon. Love you."

"Love you too," I said, and hung up.

I headed home, and prayed he'd be there when I got there. He wasn't, but he wasn't far behind me. I was all over him as soon as he walked in the door.

"What is it?" I asked before he could even get the door shut.

"Well, well, aren't you anxious?" he asked with a smug little smile on his face. "No hello, how are you, how was your day-"

I kissed him to shut him up, and then said, "Hi honey, how was your day?"

"Very good, thanks for asking," he still had that smug look on his face.

"So you had some good news?"

"I have some very good news," he said as he took off his shoes. He was stalling. Jerk.

"If you tell me you'll get a blow job before dinner."

He chuckled and said, "I did some asking around and it turns out that there is a position opening up in the mail room at my office. It's not a fancy job, but it pays well and it would allow Holly to be home with her kids at night. I talked to the HR director and she's waiting for Holly's phone call."

"Oh my god!" I almost yelled, and then jumped into his arms. "She's going to be so happy!"

"Hopefully not as happy as you are right now," he laughed.

"You don't even know," I smiled. "You're the best person ever."

"Well, I don't like the idea of two little girls being left alone in a seedy motel somewhere while their mother is at work at night. I started thinking about my own little sister being stuck in a situation like that and it just doesn't work for me," he explained.

"It doesn't work for Holly either. It breaks her heart. I think she has a friend who keeps them sometimes, but I'm not sure how often that happens."

"Well, if she calls Sarah she won't have to worry about it anymore. She'll be able to see her kids off to school in the morning and be home in time to make them dinner and help them with homework in the evenings," Eric said.

"This is going to be such a load off her mind," I said. "Do you think you could come to lunch tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'm sure I could swing that. Just let me know what time and where to meet you," he said.

"I will," I smiled, and gave him another kiss. "I love you a whole bunch, you know."

"I love you too," Eric said, and kissed me back. "So, got any ideas where you want to go for dinner tonight?"

"Anywhere you want."

"Even Thai food?" he smirked.

"Not that."

"Okay, how about Indian then?"

"Or that," I smiled.

"Sushi," he grinned, obviously toying with me.

"Veto."

"This whole anything I want suggestion of yours isn't really working so well, Sookie," he smirked, and loosened his tie.

"I know, but you still love me."

"I do. How about breakfast?"

"Breakfast sounds good."

"Can I change clothes first, or am I keeping the suit?"

"Wear whatever you feel most comfortable in," I said. "You can always fuck me in your suit, but you've had a long week."

"True," he said, and kissed my forehead. "I'll keep the suit on. You ready to go? I'm starving."

"I'm ready and starving too."

"Then let's get going," he said, and opened the apartment door.

"Let's," I smiled, and kissed his cheek before going through the door.

* * *

**So, the Holly thing. We're going to live in a magical world where people do good things for other people, and those other people are cautious, but grateful and accepting of it. Sound good to you? It sounds good to me :) Thanks for reading.  
**


	25. From The Heart

**NSFW  
**

* * *

Chapter 24 - From The Heart

**EPOV**

Sookie got her wish for slow and sweet sex with me in my suit later that night. It was nice to be able to give her the things she wanted. They were always pretty simple, and it was always to my benefit that she was happy. We were curled up on the couch when she got a phone call from Holly.

"Hey Holly," she answered. "Yeah, I can meet you there. Around one? That's perfect. Yup. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye!"

"Everything's good with Holly, I take it?"

"Yeah. She sounds really happy," she smiled. "Can you take a lunch around one?"

"I can take a lunch anytime I want," I assured her. "Where do I need to meet you?"

"At that deli about three blocks from your building."

"The one we had lunch at last month?" I asked her since there had to be at least half a dozen delis near my office.

"Yes, I already forgot the name of it."

"Good thing you're not the navigator in this relationship then," I snickered. "Is she bringing her girls along?"

"They'll be in school."

"Right," I nodded. I should have known that.

"It's okay, you don't have kids yet," she laughed.

"No, but that's just common sense."

"Not if you've been out of school for a long time."

"I suppose."

"Anyway, I'm glad you're going to come along."

"Thank you for inviting me."

"You're a part of this too."

"Nah, I'm just along for the ride. You and Amelia are doing this," I told her. "Even in death she's making the lives of the people around her better."

"You're still a part of it because you're a part of me."

We were quiet for a few minutes before I said, "I'm proud of you, you know? You took something that's made you very sad and turned it into something good. It takes a strong person to do that."

"I'm feeling proud of me too," she said. "And I'm glad you're here with me."

"Wouldn't be anywhere else," I assured her.

"Can we have a talk?" she asked. "A serious one."

"I thought we just were, but sure," I said, and turned off the TV so she knew she was getting my full attention.

"Are you happy?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes, I am," I said without hesitation. "Work is good, friends are good, family is good, we're good... I don't have anything to complain about. It's kind of scary, when I think about it."

"Thank goodness," she said, and closed her eyes. "I was afraid I was the only one. I think I'm afraid of being this happy. The only thing unhappy in my life right now is missing Amelia."

"I think it's normal to be nervous when you're happy. It means you've got something to lose," I told her. "I like my life the way it is. I don't want to lose anything. Call me greedy, but that's the way I feel."

"Good, because that's the serious part. I don't want to lose you either."

"Okay," I laughed. "So what's the not serious part?"

"There wasn't a not serious part. I just wanted to make sure that you were comfortable with us and where this is and where it's going."

"And where is this going for you?" I asked her.

"It's going serious places," she said, and bit her lip.

"Serious places?" I asked with a teasing smile. I knew what she meant, but it was fun to put her on the spot for a change.

"You know what I mean," she said, and pinched my arm.

"I do?" I asked as I rubbed my arm. She was a brutal pincher.

"I see us doing it all," she said. "Not right away, but you're the guy in the tux years from now."

"That's good to know," I smiled at her, but offered nothing further, which got me another pinch.

"What about you?"

"Well, I definitely see a hot girl in a white dress walking toward me," I told her. "Blonde hair, beautiful blue eyes... amazing rack..."

"You're marrying Pamela Anderson?"

"Who told you? That was supposed to be a secret. Pam doesn't like the press coverage," I snickered.

"Ass," she giggled.

I shifted a little so my head was resting on her chest and then looked up at her before I said, "Would it make you feel better if I said your amazing rack is the only one I have any interest in being legally bound to?"

"A little," she smiled down at me.

"What else will it take to make you feel better?"

"I feel fine," she said. "You're gonna marry me someday."

"As long as Pam keeps dodging my phone calls- ouch!"

"Ass."

"Still love me?" I asked, rubbing my stomach where she'd punched me.

"I think so."

"I'm the one with the bruises forming," I pouted.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," she frowned. "Want me to make it up to you?"

"Depends on how you plan on doing that."

Again I have an idea, but I want to hear her say it because... well, why not?

"Maybe I want you to ask for it on occasion since you never have to," she smirked.

"Ask for what?" Again, I knew. She was just too much fun to mess with.

"Your window of opportunity for getting it is getting smaller and smaller."

I smiled up at her and asked, "Sookie, light of my life, will you honor me with your supreme oral skills?"

She grinned, and said, "Eric, darling, I would love to suck your cock."

"Dirty girl."

"It's not that dirty," she said.

"No, it's not," I agreed. "I've heard you say dirtier things than that."

"Oh I know you have," she smiled. "What's your favorite?"

I had to think about it for a moment before I could decide.

"That time you called me in the middle of the day and described in detail how you were getting yourself off," I told her with a smile.

"Oh jeez," she said, and covered her face with her hands. "It's really not a good thing that I'm home alone all day, is it?"

"I don't know... I enjoyed that phone call," I chuckled.

"You never did tell me if you rubbed one out that day."

"I wanted to, but didn't have the time."

"That's a shame."

"It worked out. As I recall I got my revenge later that night," I said as I sat up.

"You did," she smiled.

"So, Sookie," I made myself comfortable. "Are you going to follow up on your offer, or are you going to keep stalling?"

"I'm stalling?"

"Yes, you are."

"Then perhaps I should stop that," she said, and slid off the couch to kneel in front of me.

"I would hate to fall asleep before you get the chance to make good on your end."

"That would be awful," she said, and her hands made their way to my pants.

"Tragic," I smiled down at her.

She pulled me out, and started stroking me slowly. "Well would you look at that? You're already halfway there, sweetie."

"I was thinking about Pamela Anderson," I teased, and the glare I got...

"Is that so?" she asked, then her glare turned into a smile. "Then I suppose I'll have to make sure you're only thinking of me by the time you finish, won't I?"

"I have all kinds of faith you can do that."

"You better," she said, and then quickly took me all the way into her mouth before I wouldn't fit.

"Fuck," I groaned, and my head hit the back of the couch.

She released me almost immediately and smirked. "Still thinking of Pamela Anderson?"

"Nope," I groaned, my eyes closed and the image of a very naked Sookie floating around in my brain.

Sookie looked up at me with that little bit of mischief in her eyes, and I'm not even ashamed to say that she had me on the edge pretty damn fast. She was just that good. She knew what she was doing, and she knew all of my quirks and triggers. I didn't mind that she didn't take her time. Just like I hoped she wouldn't mind when I hauled her into our bedroom caveman style and set up camp between her thighs until she pushed me away.

Because I was going to do it unless she told me not to.

Her head bobbed and her hand stroked, and when I told her I was going to come she just sucked a little harder. I grabbed the back of the couch, and my hips started to buck up toward her mouth. I came with a shout that I'm pretty sure was gibberish, and Sookie swallowed everything I gave her. For some strange reason, as I was coming down from my high, all I could think was that if I ever wanted to break a dry spell between us I would just need to put on a suit. I never would have thought they were an aphrodisiac, but there were few things that got Sookie horny faster than that.

"That was lovely," she giggled from her spot on the floor. "I hope that made up for the bruises."

"Totally," I said, and then moved to make good on my own promise by hauling her up off the floor and tossing her over my shoulder.

"What are you doing?!" she squealed and squirmed.

"Payback," I said, and slapped her ass. "And making sure that you're not thinking about Pamela Anderson either."

"Not at all. I don't like fake tits."

"Me either," I said, and stood up to carry her back to the bedroom.

"You're awesome."

"And you're about to get tied up," I warned her.

"You know just how to please me."

I dropped her on the bed and stood there for a minute before I said, "Or maybe I should let you cuff me this time."

"I think you already got your treat," she said.

"Then your turn it is," I smirked, and went to the dresser drawer to get what was rapidly becoming one of Sookie's favorite toys.

**oOoOoOo**

The next day I walked into the deli Sookie had told me about, and found her sitting at a table close to the windows with a woman I didn't recognize, but assumed to be Holly. Sookie stood up when she spotted me, and when I reached her I bent to kiss her cheek.

"Hey sweetie," she smiled at me, then looked at the woman. "Holly, this is my boyfriend, Eric. Eric, Holly."

"Nice to meet you, Holly. Sookie's told me a lot about you," I said, and extended a hand to her.

"Likewise," Holly smiled at me.

I sat down next to Sookie and looked at the small menu that was kept wedged between the napkin dispenser and the condiments, even though I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted already.

"Did you order yet?" I asked Sookie.

"No, we were waiting for you. We haven't been here long."

"Good," I nodded. "So... Holly, how are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm still thinking I'm dreaming about all this," she said. "I'm afraid any minute I'm gonna wake up and all of this is going to disappear."

"I promise you it won't," Sookie said, and reached across the table to touch her hand.

"I hope not," Holly exhaled slowly. "And before I forget, thank you for inviting me out to lunch today."

"You're very welcome. And the sandwiches here are really good, so feel free to order a couple for the girls if you want," she said.

"Only if they make peanut butter and jelly. My girls are picky little creatures," Holly smiled at her menu. "Thankfully, I don't have that problem. Then again, I can't afford it."

"You will," Sookie said, then looked to me. "Eric, you want to tell Holly your news?"

"Any more good news and I might burst, I'm just warning y'all now," Holly said with a big smile on her face.

"Well, then you might want to hold Sookie's hand for this one," I told her, and she took my advice. "I talked to some of the people I work with. I'm a senior planner for a financial firm down at the Mercantile Exchange, and there's an opening in the mail room. When I told the human resources director your story she was sympathetic. I can't guarantee it, but I'm pretty sure if you give her a call she'll set you up with the job in the mail room."

I handed Holly the business card I'd tucked into my pocket that morning, and I swear, I thought she was going to faint for a second.

"I know it's probably not your dream job, but it pays well enough and it'll get you health insurance for you and your daughters, and it will allow you to be there to see them off to school in the morning and be home in time for dinner," I said, and Holly started to hyperventilate before she burst into tears.

Sookie quietly got up and went around the table to wrap her arms around Holly.

"It's a start," she said comfortingly as she rubbed her back.

Holly nodded, but was too overwhelmed to speak. Sookie and I stayed relatively quiet while Holly cried it out, and I couldn't help but hope that if Sookie ever found herself in the same position that Holly was in, that someone would be just as kind to her. Unfortunately, opportunities like this didn't come along every day, and it was obvious by Holly's reaction that she was grateful for what she was being given.

When she calmed down enough to speak again she said, "Thank you. Both of you. You've done so much for me and I don't even know either of you. This is just... this doesn't happen to people, you know? Like I keep waiting for some fucked up camera crew to come out and tell me I'm being Punk'd or something."

I laughed and said, "I promise you, that card is no joke. If you call the HR director will find you something. We're always hiring somewhere and I didn't know what your skill set was, but I figured even if you didn't have office experience you could handle sorting mail."

"I was a receptionist in a dentist's office before my husband died," Holly sniffled and dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. "I was only working part-time so I'd be home with the girls when they got back from school. Leaving them at night has been killing me but I haven't had much other choice in the matter."

"Well, hopefully you won't have to worry about that anymore," I said as our waitress appeared to take our orders.

We all ordered, and Holly was smiling again.

"The only thing I really ask of you is that maybe we can all have dinner once a week or month, schedules permitting," Sookie said.

"I would love that," Holly smiled broadly. "And my girls adore you, just so you know. Leah has decided she wants to be just like you when she grows up."

"Aww," Sookie blushed. "Leah could pick better people to aspire to be, but I'm flattered."

"I think she's picked a good role model," I winked at Sookie.

"Shush," she said, and nudged my arm.

"I would have to agree, Sookie. If my girls turn out to be as kind and generous as you are I will consider my job to have been done well," Holly said.

"I appreciate that," Sookie smiled. "And for the record, I think you're doing a wonderful job already."

"I could be doing better, and I will be thanks to the two of you," Holly grinned.

"Does that mean you've decided to take the apartment?" I asked her before Sookie could.

Holly looked to Sookie and said, "I want to, but on the condition that you let me pay rent. I can't just take it from you, as much as I appreciate the offer. I wouldn't feel right about that, especially if I'm going to have a better job that will allow me to pay for it."

"You will pay rent, eventually," Sookie said. "I'd really like to take care of it for now, at least until you get back on your feet. In six months, we can talk about it again."

Holly looked like she wanted to argue, but Sookie gave her what I knew all too well to be the 'shut your piehole if you know what's good for you' look.

"I'm holding you to that," Holly said.

"That's just fine," Sookie smiled, and sipped her lemonade.

I sat back and listened to the girls talk while we waited for our food. As much as I didn't want to rush through lunch I had a conference call at two thirty I had to get back for, so I didn't have as much time as I wanted to hang out with them. On the bright side, it was Friday which meant I only had to make it through a few more hours and the work week would be over. I was more than anxious to get the weekend started.

"Eric, do you need to get back?" Sookie asked me when I was done eating before they'd finished even half of their food.

"Unfortunately I do, but I should be home at a reasonable time," I said, and pulled some cash from my back pocket for her. "I'll call you when I'm leaving the office. Holly, it was great to meet you. I hope to see you around the office."

"Me too. Thank you again, so much," she stood up when I did and gave me a hug.

"You're welcome," I said, and then bent to kiss Sookie's forehead before leaving the deli.

**oOoOoOo**

"Sook!" I called out when I walked into the apartment later that afternoon.

"In the kitchen!" she called back.

I walked in to find her standing at the sink with the water running.

"What'cha up to?" I asked, and started to loosen my tie. There was no such thing as casual Friday at my office.

"Washing dishes," she said, and puckered her lips for a kiss.

"How'd the rest of lunch go?" I asked, and gave her the kiss she wanted.

"Great," she smiled. "I took her to the apartment, and gave her the keys. She's staying there tonight, and in the morning we're going to go fix up some paperwork."

"That's awesome," I smiled at her.

"The girls are in love."

"Her daughters, you mean?"

"Yes," she laughed.

"Did you bring them by the apartment too?"

"Here?"

"No, Amelia's apartment," I chuckled. "We suck at communicating today."

"Yeah, that's where I took them," she said.

"What'd they think of the apartment?" I asked as I got a beer out of the fridge.

"They loved it," she smiled. "The girls are super excited about having their own rooms."

"I bet they are," I said, and hopped up onto the counter next to the sink. "So when are they moving in officially?"

"Probably this weekend. She had most of their stuff in storage and scrounged to keep paying for the locker so that they didn't lose everything."

"That's good at least. Do they need help moving? I'm sure we could talk Tray and some of the other guys he knows into helping out."

"I already offered your services," she said, biting her lip.

I chuckled and said, "That's my girl. I'll call Tray and see if he's interested."

"Thank you," she smiled.

"So then everything is all set other than the paperwork? Are you leaving most of the furniture in the apartment that's already there, or do we need to move that stuff out?" I asked her, since we would need to organize that pretty quickly if we needed to get rid of stuff.

"I asked her about that, and she said that they could honestly use everything. She sold off all their furniture for money so she could at least get the girls school supplies and pay for their lunches. All they have is their clothing and family pictures, small things like that."

"Wow," I shook my head.

"What?"

"It's just a really sad story, that's all," I shrugged, and took a big drink of my beer before offering it to her.

She took it and took a swig as well, then handed it back. "It is. And I have a feeling Amelia may have had something to do with me finding them. I'm just glad I did before she lost her girls."

"She seems like a really good mother," I said. "And if those girls already lost their father then they really, really need their mother."

"They do, and I hope with our help that they'll have her for a very, very long time," she said. "Are we watching the highlights tonight?"

"The highlights?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"Pre-game stuff," she said. "Is that not called highlights?"

I laughed and said, "No. The highlights are post-game. The pre-game is called the pre-game."

"Good lord I feel blonde," she sighed, and dried her hands after rinsing out the sink. "Well I want to watch. I'm getting into this baseball thing."

"So I've noticed. You know, we could maybe take Holly and her girls to a game," I suggested, knowing Sookie had been wanting to go to one before the season was over.

"Could we?!" she asked, her face lighting up.

"Yeah, why not? At least you won't feel so blonde around a couple of little girls," I teased, and she glared at me.

"You're not allowed to make fun of my blonde moments," she said.

"I wasn't. I think it's awesome of you that you're giving it a chance," I told her, and took another big drink of my beer.

"I'm glad," she smiled. "I was actually kind of worried for a while that you would think I was interfering on your man time."

"Not at all," I said as I hopped off the counter. "I think it's cute when you yell at the umpires now since you can spot the differences in pitches."

"Well they're clearly blind!"

"Clearly," I chuckled with amusement. "Sometimes it's a tough call and we get the replay. But that call during the game against the Rockies was bullshit. I thought you were going to throw your beer at the TV."

"I almost did," she laughed, and then she wrapped her arms around me and laid her head on my chest.

"Just promise me you won't do that at the game, or you'll get arrested," I kissed the top of her head.

"I'll try to control myself," she said. "What are you up for tonight?"

"Dinner, you mean?"

"Yup."

"Whatever you want. I don't have a taste for anything in particular."

"Since I already did the dishes, I was thinking we be lazy and order in pizza since we've been good the rest of the week. Pizza, beer, and baseball?"

"I like this plan," I said. "I'm going to go ditch the suit. You want to help me with that?"

"I would love to help you with that," she smiled up at me.

"Good. We've got fifteen minutes before the pre-game starts," I winked at her, and then she followed me back to the bedroom.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	26. Déjà Vu

**Ladies, I really don't know what's wrong with me on updating this. I'm going to post Chapter 26 tonight too for you. Sorry for all the fail!  
**

* * *

Chapter 25 - Déjà Vu

**SPOV**

Eric and Tray didn't take long to get all of Holly's things from the storage locker to the apartment. She wasn't lying when she said she didn't have much. I did go out and buy two full size beds for the spare rooms though since Amelia didn't have beds in either of the rooms. I was usually the only guest she had over, and I always ended up sleeping in her bed with her. I distracted Holly and the girls with some grocery shopping while Eric and Tray went to get the beds and get them put together.

"So did you call the number Eric gave you?" I asked her as we walked around the store with our baskets.

"Yes, I did," Holly smiled. "I have a meeting on Monday morning."

"That's great! Eric says it's a great place to work. And at least you'll know him."

"I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out," she said with a nervous smile, and then took the bag of cookies out of her basket that her younger daughter had tried to sneak in.

"I didn't even see her sneak that in," I laughed when she put it back on the shelf.

"I swear, they're like little sugar ninjas," Holly shook her head.

"Aren't all kids?"

"Most likely," Holly smiled as we walked along.

"Did you all sleep alright last night? I didn't know how the girls would do without beds yet."

"Oh, they just dog piled on me," Holly laughed. "But I slept like a log. I woke up this morning and the girls were parked in front of the TV like they would be on any other Saturday morning before their father died. It was nice to see them do something normal, you know?"

"I do," I nodded. "How are they handling all of this?"

"They're doing pretty well so far. I think they're just excited to be in space that's theirs again."

"Did you try to explain any of it to them? I only ask because I didn't know if you would want me to talk to them about it at all."

"I talked to them. They understand that this apartment isn't really ours," Holly said. "They know that you're doing us a big favor by letting us stay there."

"Holly, it is yours."

Holly stopped walking and said, "That's real kind of you, Sookie, but I can't keep it. It's one thing to stay there while I get back on my feet, but I can't stay forever. I would rather pay it forward when I can, and give someone else the same opportunity that you're giving me right now. It's the right thing to do, and I want to set a good example for my girls."

I teared up, and quickly realized I wasn't going to be able to hold those tears back. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly. This would have been exactly what Amelia would have wanted.

"That is the best thing I ever could have asked for," I said after a moment. "But you hold onto it as long as you need to, okay?"

"I will," she promised and hugged me back.

"Jeez," I said when we broke apart. "When we get together one of us always ends up sobbing."

"I blame it all on you," she said with a laugh.

"I'll gladly take that blame," I smiled. "Now let's get those cookies anyway."

"Oh, alright."

I grabbed the cookies, and put them back in the basket, then we caught up with the girls, who were arguing over which cereal to buy. We finished up at the store about a half hour later, and I texted Eric to make sure everything was good to go.

**Is everything a go, Maverick?**

I tried not to giggle as I waited for his response, which came a moment later.

**I feel the need for speed, Goose.**

At that, I did giggle, and Holly asked me what I was laughing at.

"Nothing. Eric's being silly," I said, and put my phone back in my pocket.

"Can I just say that he is a tall drink of you're-lucky-you-got-him-first?" she said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Believe me when I say that you're not the first person to say that," I laughed. "I'm a very lucky girl to have found him first."

"How long have you guys been together?" Holly asked as we approached the checkout lanes.

"Almost two years," I smiled.

"Good for you," she smiled. "You think he's the one?"

"I do, actually," I said. "We're solid, and we still make each other laugh. We've been through some really tough times together, even in the beginning, so I think we could make it last."

"That's great."

"If you don't mind me asking, do you think you'll want to start dating again someday?"

"Yeah, I do," Holly nodded. "It's just going to have to be a slow, stable relationship and my girls have to come first. I don't know where I'm going to find a guy who will be okay with that, but I'd like to think it'll happen someday."

"I think it will," I smiled reassuringly.

"I'm in no hurry," she said as she unloaded her basket of stuff onto the conveyor belt.

"It'll happen when it's supposed to. It's good that you're keeping your focus on the girls," I said.

"They have to come first. They deserve that much," she said, and then called them back when they started to get a little too far away. "I swear, I sometimes think about putting them on leashes."

"They do make those for kiddos," I laughed.

When the cashier gave the total, I quickly swiped my card before Holly could dig her wallet out of her purse.

"Sookie!" she shook her head at me.

"I'll tell you what," I said. "When you get back on your feet, I'll let you treat me to dinner and drinks."

"Damn skippy you will."

"I'll even pinky swear," I said, and held up my pinky.

"Mmhmm," Holly hummed, and hooked her pinky with mine.

"Deal then," I smiled. "Now let's get this stuff home."

"Good idea," she agreed, and picked up her bags.

We got the girls to help us carry all the bags, and headed back to the apartment. Thankfully, it was only about five blocks from the market, which would come in handy for Holly. The walk back didn't take long, and when we walked in I called out to the boys.

"Eric, Tray! We're back!"

"Back here!" Eric called from one of the spare bedrooms.

"Hey girls? I think you two should go look at your rooms," I said with a smile so big I couldn't hide from Holly that we'd done something.

"What did you do?" she asked suspiciously, but followed her daughters back to the bedrooms. I knew she'd seen what I'd done when I heard her scream.

I followed after in time to see the girls already bouncing on one of the beds, and Holly ready to either cry or chastise me. The guys just looked amused.

"So what do you think?" I asked her.

"I think you're doing way too much for me," Holly said, and wiped tears off her cheeks. "But thank you."

"Every girl needs her own bed," I said, and gave her a hug.

I noticed Tray slip out of the room quietly, and quickly excused myself to go talk to him. I found him back in Amelia's old bedroom, sitting on the bed.

"Hey," I said. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "I just keep thinking that Amelia would be thrilled with what you're doing, but I still miss the shit out of her."

I sat down next to him and put my hand on top of his. "I miss her too, but she's not gone. She's still with you, and with me, and probably with Eric until he finally proposes," I laughed.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she grabs him by the ear and drags him into a jewelry store when she gets tired of waiting," Tray laughed quietly.

"She probably will," I smiled. "And I'm not sure what she put in your letter, but I know she would want you to be happy. She almost never told you how she felt because she never wanted you to be heartbroken."

"That's Amelia for you," he shook his head.

"But she did tell you, and you made her so happy. She would want you to keep being happy," I said. "I know you can't just up and do that right away, but promise me you'll keep your eyes open."

"I'm happy, Sook. It's just stuff like this that reminds me she's not coming back, you know?" he asked with a sad smile.

"Oh I know," I said. "I went through that a lot when I was cleaning out her clothes and things."

"I can imagine," he nodded. "You're doing a great thing here, though. Holly seems like a nice girl, and her kids are adorable."

"Holly is wonderful," I smiled. "She's a great mother, and an awesome human being. You know, she told me today that she's only planning to keep this place until she's on her feet again, and then she's going to pay it forward to another family who needs it."

"Amelia would love her for that," he said.

The younger of Holly's daughters came to the doorway and said, "Thank you, Miss Sookie, for the new bed. It's very bouncy."

"You are very welcome, Molly," I smiled. "Can I get a hug as payback?"

"Uh huh," she said, and came running over with her blonde curls bouncing behind her.

"Ohhhh I love Molly hugs," I said as she wrapped her arms around my neck tightly.

"Daddy used to say I gave the best hugs," she told me, and squeezed a little harder.

"Your daddy was very right," I said. "And you know what? I know who gives the best piggyback rides."

"You do? Who?"

I whispered in her ear, "Mister Tray."

Molly looked over at Tray and then whispered back, "He looks kinda scary."

"I know he does at first, but he's kind of like the Beast," I whispered. Holly told me that Beauty and the Beast was Molly's favorite disney movie. "Kind of scary at first, but he's actually really nice."

Molly still looked unsure, and didn't make a move toward Tray. I gave Tray a look that told him to endear himself to this adorable little girl, and to do it now.

"Well, I guess if Molly doesn't want a piggyback ride I should go see if Leah wants one," Tray said, and stood up to stretch.

"Wait!" Molly climbed up on the bed. "I guess you can give me one."

"Are you sure?" Tray asked, and Molly nodded. He sat down again and let Molly climb onto his back. "Okay, hold on tight."

She could barely get her arms around his neck, but he had a good grip on her. He smiled over his shoulder at me, and then walked out of the room with Molly on his back. When they got a bit down the hall Molly giggled, "Look mama!"

"Look at you, baby girl," Holly smiled up at her daughter. "You're up pretty high."

"Miss Sookie said Mister Tray gives the best piggyback rides," Molly explained.

"What about me?" Eric arched an eyebrow at me as he walked out of the spare bedroom with Leah right behind him.

"You wait your turn," Tray joked.

"Oh now that I have to see," I laughed.

"Yeah, me too," Holly laughed along with me.

"These guys are like big kids sometimes," I said.

"They're cute," Holly said, looking directly at Tray when she said it.

In that moment, I saw something between them. It wasn't red hot, but it was a spark. Something tentative, but good, and it made me smile.

"They're very cute," I agreed. "But I think we should go put up those groceries."

"That's a good idea," Holly agreed, and followed me to the kitchen.

"We'll get out of your hair shortly and let you three settle in," I said as I started putting away refrigerated stuff.

"Oh you're no trouble," she said as she put away the pantry items.

"Yeah, but it'll be nice for y'all to figure out what's normal again."

"The girls can have a bedtime routine again," she sighed happily. "And I won't have to worry about some crazy drunk waking them up in the middle of the night."

"That must be a relief," I said.

"You have no idea," she said, and started collecting the plastic bags from the groceries. "This isn't any of my business, but do you want kids someday?"

"No, it's okay. I do want kids."

"That's good. You're going to make a great mother," she smiled at me.

"I hope so," I said. "Actually, remember how I told you that Eric and I went through some rough times?"

"Yeah," she nodded, and turned to start a pot of coffee.

"When we first started dating, I got pregnant," I told her. "We'd only been together for a few months, and it was scary, but it also made me realize that I could handle it if I had a kid."

"If you got preg- oh..." she looked at me sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Sookie."

"It's okay," I said. "It wasn't at the time, and it was really hard to have that decision made for me, but Eric and I got through it."

"He seems like a really great guy. Most guys would bail if y'all hadn't been together for very long," she said, and pulled down some coffee mugs.

"Thankfully he's not most guys. Even if things hadn't worked out with us, he would have very much been a part of that baby's life. He's going to make a great father someday."

"I can tell. He's been great with my girls today."

Leah came running into the kitchen and said, "Mama, I'm hungry. Can we have dinner soon?"

"I'll start on it as soon as Sookie, Eric and Tray head home," Holly promised. "Did you say thank you to Miss Sookie for the new bed?"

"Thank you, Miss Sookie," Leah came over and gave me a hug without being prompted.

"You're very welcome, Leah," I said as I hugged her back.

"Why don't you and Molly go pick a movie to watch and I'll get dinner started?" Holly suggested.

"Okay!" Leah said, and then ran off to find her sister.

"They are so cute," I sighed.

"Yeah... you should see 'em when they're sleeping," Holly giggled.

"Even cuter?"

"You betcha," she grinned. "Someday when you're a mom, you'll totally understand."

"I'm sure I will."

We finished putting up the groceries, and then Eric, Tray, and I headed out. It would never feel like their home if we were always hanging around. We invited Tray over for supper, but he said he had to go pick up his daughter.

"Has he at least been talking to you?" I asked Eric after we parted ways with Tray.

"Here and there, but he never says much on the topic. He's a still waters kind of guy, you know," he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. "But he knows you worry about him and he appreciates that."

"I just don't want him to not live anymore. I know he will for his kid, but Amelia would want him to find someone that makes him happy. She never wanted to break his heart."

"I think you're being a wee bit dramatic," Eric chuckled. "Tray gets sad like you do sometimes but he isn't spending his night sitting under a bare bulb, holding Amelia's picture and weeping."

"I'm being dramatic?"

"Just a little," he winked at me.

"Well I don't think I am."

"Don't get mad," he sighed.

"I'm not mad, I'm just assuming that Tray is feeling what I'd imagine I'd feel if you died."

"He's doing okay, Sookie," Eric assured me. "He's getting over it."

"Okay," I said.

"So what do you want to do for the rest of the night?"

"I don't know. I guess dinner."

"How about we make burgers out on the grill? We can cook outside and watch a game together, maybe drink ourselves silly in honor of Amelia?" Eric suggested.

"Yeah," I nodded. "That sounds good."

"Then we need to stop at the store on the way for provisions."

"Okay," I said, and grabbed his hand.

"So you feel good about everything that happened today, Goose?" he asked with a squeeze to my hand.

"I do, Maverick," I smiled. "Just wait until you hear what Holly told me."

"Oh yeah? What was that?"

"She's planning to keep the apartment until she's back on her feet, and then she's going to pay it forward."

Eric smiled and said, "Yeah, you picked the right person to help."

"I think so, and now I definitely think Amelia helped in that a bit."

"I'm sure she did."

"All in all, it's helping me deal with her being gone."

"That's good."

"And thank you for all your help today."

"You're welcome," he smiled at me. "I was happy to do it, and I know Tray was, too."

"Am I crazy or did you see a little spark between Holly and him?" I asked.

"I wasn't really paying attention, so maybe," he shrugged.

"Damn, why aren't you a girl? A girl would have noticed."

"You need to make more girlfriends," he chuckled.

"Not as easy as you think."

"I'm pretty sure Holly is your friend for life," he said. "Just don't get too pushy, Matchmaker."

"Oh I won't. Holly and Tray both have big things they need to get through before they're ready for that."

"Good girl. I'm going to hold you to that."

"You won't need to, but feel free," I said.

By that time, we were at the store, and headed in to get the things we need.

"Can we get some chocolate?"

"We can get whatever you want," he said as he picked up a basket.

"I've been craving chocolate everything like a mothereffer lately."

He snickered and asked, "Is this like the time when you wanted to eat nothing but tacos for a week?"

"It's worse."

"I'm sure it'll pass," he shrugged, but grabbed a bag of Oreos when we walked down the cookie aisle.

"I hope so," I said. "My boobs have been sore lately too, so I might just be about to start my period."

"You could crave worse things, right? At least you don't want like, garlic pickles or egg salad or something"

"I love egg salad," I laughed.

"Ew, why?" he made a face that said he definitely didn't share my opinion.

"Because it's good?"

"Your taste buds are all off," he shook his head, and grabbed a bag of hamburger buns off a shelf.

"About some things. I don't want it all the time, but it's not awful if it's made right."

"Well for my sake, please stick to the chocolate. Just the smell of egg salad has always made me want to puke. I couldn't tell you why," he admitted.

"That's okay. If I ever decide to have some I'll make it when you're at work."

"Thank you."

"Welcome," I smiled, and grabbed a bag of pretzels.

When we got to the alcohol section he asked, "Do you want beer, wine or something else entirely?"

"Beer's fine," I said.

He nodded and handed the basket over to me so he could pick up the beer. After that we headed to the checkout lines. Eric paid for the groceries, and then we headed home.

"I'll start prepping if you want to go fire up the grill," I said when we got there.

"Yes, ma'am," he kissed me quickly, and then went out to the patio to get the grill going.

I started unpacking the groceries, and when I got to the Oreos I couldn't stop myself from opening the package and eating one, then another, then three more.

"Jesus, self," I said out loud, and closed the package before tossing it above the cabinets since Eric would be the only one who could get it down if I wanted more.

I started thinking about the cravings I was having for chocolate lately. It's typical for a girl to say she craves it during her period, but I'd never really been that way. I mostly just craved junk food during my period. But then I started thinking about my period, and the next thing I knew I was counting days. I never bothered keeping close track on it since I was usually slightly off anyway. Eric came back in when I was standing there looking at the ceiling, counting on my fingers.

"What are you doing?" he asked, and walked over to the sink to wash his hands.

"Trying to figure out if I'm late on my period, now hush," I said, and kept counting. It was the third time I'd gone over it, and I came to the same number each time. "Fucking fuck goddamn it."

I didn't even wait to explain it to Eric, I just headed to the bathroom to see if I still had that spare pregnancy test stashed there.

"What is going on?" Eric called from the kitchen, but didn't follow me.

"Give me two minutes," I yelled, and shut the bathroom door. The test was still there, so I thought it was best to rip the bandaid off and just find out. I turned on the water faucet to help me go, and peed on that stick. Then I capped it, set it on the counter, washed my hands, and went back to the kitchen to explain what just happened to Eric.

"Oh."

That was what he said.

"Oh?"

"There's a little shock going on in here. Give me a minute."

"Okay," I said, and hopped up on the counter to wait.

He could be shocked for a minute, that was fair. I did kind of spring it on him, and the fact was that it hadn't really even hit me yet. I was waiting for the test before that happened.

"How late are you?" he asked.

"Twenty-two days," I said. "Give or take a few."

"Shit," he muttered.

"Either I'm really, really fertile, or you have some weird super-enhanced sperm."

"Or you're just really, really late."

"That's possible too," I said. "Are you okay either way?"

He thought for a moment and then blew out a deep breath before he said, "When the shock wears off, yeah."

"It hasn't hit me yet," I told him.

"What do you think? Do you think you are?" he asked.

"I think that I'm craving things intensely, my boobs are sore, and I've never been this late for my period with the exception of last time."

"Shit," he muttered again.

"Are you ready to look?" I asked.

"Not really," he said. "But I guess it's better to get it over with."

I hopped off the counter and headed for the bathroom with Eric following me.

"You want me to do it?" I asked.

"Yeah," he nodded.

I picked up the test, and looked quickly. There was a little plus sign.

"Well," I said. "I'm pregnant."

And then I fainted.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	27. New Normal

**And here's the next... NSFW  
**

* * *

Chapter 26 - New Normal

**EPOV**

The day had started out pretty awesome. Sookie had blown me awake. We'd fucked in the shower. We'd had breakfast at a diner we discovered that we loved two blocks away from the apartment. We helped Holly and her kids get settled in Amelia's apartment. We were going to spend the night watching baseball and being drunken fools. The night would probably end the way the day began, and life was fucking good.

Then Sookie dropped the baby bomb on me, and when she confirmed what both of us were trying not to panic about, she completely passed out on me. I scrambled to get down on the floor next to her, which was easier said than done in our bathroom. I lifted her head gently and called her name a few times, but got no response. It took a glass of cold water on her face before she finally opened her eyes and sputtered a little bit.

"What happened?" she asked as she sat up. "Why am I we- Did you throw water in my face?!"

"You fainted," I told her. "You told me you were pregnant, and then you just fell out."

"I'm pregnant. Sonofabitch!"

"That pretty much sums it up," I nodded.

"What are we going to do?"

"We should probably start by drying off your face," I suggested, and reached for one of the hand towels a few feet away. I gave it to Sookie, and she sat up slowly. "I have no idea what to do next. Call your doctor, maybe? Schedule a real test?"

"Yeah, I'll go call and leave a message," she said.

"Then we need to stock up on condoms because obviously we can't leave it to chance," I shook my head. I was pretty sure we still had some under the sink, but we hadn't used them in close to a year.

"Ugh, I hate condoms."

I quirked an eyebrow at her. Wasn't that supposed to be my line?

"Don't give me that look," she said. "You know very well that when I want it, I want it now, and I don't like waiting on you to roll a layer of latex over your impossibly long dick."

I couldn't help laughing, and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

"So I'll be in charge of giving our kids the safe sex talk then," I joked.

"That would probably be wise," she chuckled.

I stood up and extended a hand to help Sookie to her feet. I wasn't nearly as panicked as I was the year before, but we were in a much better place. Our relationship was solid and we'd talked about wanting this together someday anyway. Someday was just coming a lot sooner than either of us had planned.

Once Sookie was on her feet I said, "You know, one of these days it might be fun to knock you up on purpose."

"At least then we'd know we're really good at it."

"Yeah, so far it's just been dumb luck," I tried to laugh, but found I couldn't. We needed to have another one of those talks about what we were going to do, and that was just fucking awkward.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm not sure how to answer that," I admitted. "Obviously we didn't plan this, so we didn't see this coming. I know one way or another we're going to be okay, but this still isn't how I saw it happening."

"It's not how I saw it happening either," she said. "I thought this would still be at least a few years away."

"I figured we'd get married first, maybe spend some time traveling or something, maybe buy a house first... I don't know..." I trailed off.

"You wanted to marry me, travel with me, and buy a house with me?"

"I've thought about it," I said. "I mean, we've talked about it in the past so, yeah, you know..."

"I don't know, 'cause you've never gone that far when telling me things."

"It's just things I think about," I said. I thought about a lot of things that I didn't tell her about, but that didn't mean I wasn't thinking them. I mean, she couldn't have possibly told me every single thing she ever thought, right?

"Well I'm glad you finally decided to tell me."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I needed to tell you every single thought that crosses my mind throughout the day," I shook my head and walked out of the bathroom. I was so not in the mood to fight with her right then. I knew it would just get out of control and we didn't need that on top of everything else.

"Eric, wait," I heard her sigh, and then she was following me. "I'm sorry."

"Just don't make it sound like I've never talked about our future with you, Sookie. I might not go around painting pictures the way you do, but I've never run from one of those conversations either, have I?" I pointed out. Not even when we barely knew each other the summer before and she told me she was pregnant did I run. That had to count for something.

"No, you haven't, and you've always been really good about making sure I at least know how you feel. I know you try, and I love you for it. I never want to push you, and I'm sorry if I just did."

"Apology accepted," I said, and went to the fridge to get a beer out because if ever there was a time for a drink, this was it.

"I'm just feeling really overwhelmed and scared out of my mind," she said, and crossed her arms over her chest. "It's not like last time when I was mostly worried about you abandoning us. I know we're solid now."

I set my beer on the counter and crossed the room to wrap her in a hug. I didn't like the scared, sad look on her face. I never liked seeing that look on her face. It always fucked me up.

"We'll figure this out, Sookie. I'm not going anywhere, okay? We're still in this together," I assured her, and kissed the top of her head.

"I know," she said. "But what if what happened last time, happens again?"

"Then we'll deal with that. Your doctor said it was just a freak occurrence though, remember? I don't think it'll happen again," I told her, which told me right then and there that we didn't even need to have that conversation about what to do. All of the things we said the year before still applied. So if that pregnancy test was accurate, we were going to be parents.

And all I could think was that Amelia somehow had a hand in this to make sure Sookie and I stayed together.

"But what if it does?"

"Then we'll deal with it," I said again. "Don't stress yourself out over it, Sookie. Remember all that reading you were doing? It all said stress was bad for the baby. Just try to stay calm."

"It's hard not to be stressed right now."

"I know," I rubbed her back. "Just breathe, okay? It's going to be fine."

"But what if it happens again, and we find out I'll never be able to carry a baby to term? Would you even still want to be with me?"

It killed me that her mind was going to those places, but I didn't even have to think about my answer. I lifted her face and looked her right in the eyes when I said, "I love you. Whether we have a hundred babies of our own or none. If you can't carry a baby to term we have other options that we can consider, but I swear to you that it isn't a dealbreaker for me if you can't have a baby, Sookie. All I want is you."

She didn't say anything in response. She simply nodded, kissed me, and then started crying. I picked her up and set her on the counter. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I hugged her back until she stopped crying a few minutes later.

"I swear it's going to be okay, Sookie," I kissed her forehead.

"I know," she said as she wiped her cheeks. "But now I can't get drunk with you tonight to round out our perfect day."

"You can get blotto on milkshakes if you want," I offered. "I'll even put those Oreos in them for you."

"With chocolate ice cream?" she asked.

"Whatever you want," I smiled and leaned down to kiss her.

"Then I want that," she smiled back. "And you know what?"

"What?"

"I'm going to make a really sexy pregnant chick."

I chuckled and said, "Yes, you definitely are."

"Okay, I think I'm okay now. You get out there and make burgers, and I'll call my doctor's office."

"Deal," I nodded. "Should I get those Oreos down first?"

I didn't even know why she'd thrown them up there.

"Yeah, would you? I kinda ate a million of them earlier and that was the only way to stop myself."

"Eh," I shrugged and reached for the package. "At least our kid will come out chubby."

"Chubby babies are the best, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are," I said as I handed her the package. "I'll be outside when you're done."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," I said, and grabbed the package of pre-made burgers from the fridge.

I took them outside to get them cooking, and I was just about to turn them over when Sookie came out with a pair of plates, the buns and some cheese. She looked a little more relaxed, which I was thankful for, and handed the plates to me. I really didn't want her to stress herself out into another miscarriage. This wasn't what we had planned, but it was happening for one reason or another.

"Everything okay?" I asked her, and flipped the burgers over.

"Yeah," she smiled. "I feel more prepared for this."

"I think we're definitely in a better place to handle it this time," I agreed.

"It helps that we're at least living together this time. And in love."

"Very true," I nodded. "We'll have to reorganize if we don't want the baby in the same room with us every night, though."

"Yeah we will, but let's make sure I'm actually pregnant before we start planning things."

"I was just thinking out loud," I told her.

"I know, and I liked it," she smiled.

"So how pregnant do you think you are?" I asked her since I had no idea.

"I'm not sure. We do have a lot of sex. We might be able to narrow it down once we get a conception date."

"Good point," I laughed.

"Are you positive you'll be able to handle a pregnant Sookie?"

"I guess we'll find out," I said. "Worst comes to worst, I just leave town until after you give birth."

"Not cool."

"I'm kidding," I smiled at her.

"You better be. And if you're not there when our kids are born, I'll hold it against you for a long time. Or at least until you're cute with the baby."

"I'll be there unless you go into labor randomly and there just isn't enough time for me to get there first. You can't really hold it against me then."

"With the amount of pain I'll be in, I'll find a way to hold it against you. But really, as soon as you pick up that baby and smile at it, I'll melt and everything will be fine."

"Does this mean the idea of having a baby is growing on you?" I asked her.

"It means that if I'm really pregnant, then I better get used to it because the baby is coming whether we like it or not. And it's easiest to focus on all the cute things like you snuggling with a little baby girl, than to think of the crap things like sleepless nights and having a baby permanently attached to my tits."

"I think permanently might be overstating," I said, but she just shot me a dirty look.

"Is that so?"

"Well you'd stop breastfeeding before the kid hits elementary school, right?"

"Yes, but at first? The kid will be on my tit every two hours."

"You'll get used to it," I shrugged.

"Oh I will, huh?"

"You don't have to breastfeed, you know. I hear they make these things called bottles," I smirked at her.

"I know I don't have to, and I don't know if I will but that's my choice."

"Yes it is, and whatever you decide to do is fine with me." I seriously had no opinion on the subject either way.

"Then maybe you could not tell me that it would basically be my fault if I breastfeed."

"That's not what I said."

"It's kind of what you said."

"It's not even close to what I said."

"Yes it is."

"No, it isn't. You were complaining about having a baby attached to your tits and I was reminding you there are alternatives if that's not what you want. Don't turn my words around because you want to pick a stupid fight with me."

She glared at me. "You told me I'd get used to it like it was no big deal."

"Well what was I supposed to say?" I threw my hands up in the air. "Was I supposed to demand that you don't do it? If you don't want to do it, then don't."

"No," she sighed. "You were fine. I'm sorry. But don't think you're getting off not helping me with night feedings."

"Who said I wanted out of that?" I looked at her like I'd been smacked upside the head with a two by four. Did she not trust me at all, all of a sudden?

"No one, I just... I don't know, you told me I'd get used to it, and I assumed that meant you weren't interested in helping with that," she said. "And now I realize how fucking ridiculous that sounds."

"You will get used to it, won't you? And if you don't, then you stop. It's not the end of the world, Sook. No one's going to hold a gun to your head and force you to do it if you don't want to."

"I know."

I couldn't help but burst out laughing a minute later, which did nothing to erase the face full of what the fuck that Sookie was sending my way.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Because of this argument," I said. "This morning would you have thought we'd be standing out here on the patio arguing about breastfeeding?"

She stared at me for a minute, then started smiling, and then she was laughing too.

"This morning the only thing I was thinking about was how many times we'd get to fuck today."

That sounded about right.

"What was your magic number?" I asked just out of curiosity.

"Seven," she giggled.

"That's ambitious of you considering what we had planned earlier in the day, but I suppose it's still doable," I said, and checked the burgers again.

"Then I say we eat, then fuck, then fuck during the game, then after, then in the shower, and once more before going to sleep."

"Challenge accepted," I winked at her, and reached for the cheese slices.

"Then you better drink up, because you're going to need the fluids."

"Back at you, baby mama."

She smiled, "I can't have that beer anymore though, baby daddy."

"I know. You're drinking milkshakes, remember?"

"Oh yeah! Chocolate!" she said, and headed back inside to get one started.

Once the cheese was melted I pulled the burgers from the grill and set each of them on a bun. I found Sookie in the kitchen doing what I can only assume was her happy dance while the blender worked its magic on the ice cream, Oreos and milk. I grabbed my beer off the counter and took a swig before going to the fridge to get out some lettuce and tomato for my burger. If we wouldn't have been arguing out on the deck I would have suggested frying up some bacon for the burgers, but we'd just have to do that another time. I got down a big glass for Sookie's milkshake, and took our plates back to the living room once I had my burger properly dressed.

I parked myself on the couch and turned on the TV. The pre-game show had already started, and Sookie came into the room with her bag of pretzels, milkshake and a couple of napkins. She sat down on the couch next to me, and took a huge drink of her shake.

"How is it?" I asked her.

"Heaven," she moaned.

"Good," I smiled at her, and took a big bite of my burger.

"Can I just have milkshakes for dinner?" she asked.

"You should probably have some protein or you'll just be hungry again in an hour," I told her.

"I'll be having my protein when I blow you later," she winked, but picked up her burger anyway.

"Dirty girl."

"You like it," she said, and took a bite.

"I do," I agreed, and kept eating.

Ten minutes later I was washing dishes in the kitchen when Sookie came in with her plate and her empty milkshake glass... and a pair of grabby hands. So I did the only thing I could think of, and that was spray her with the hose attached to the faucet.

"All that's going to do is make me take off my wet clothing," she laughed, and pulled off her shirt.

"You're already getting with the program. I like it," I said, and squirted her again.

"And there goes the bra," she said, and pulled it off.

"And we know those panties are already wet thanks to the milkshake," I smirked over my shoulder.

"Does that mean I need to rid myself of those too?"

"I can just rip 'em off if you want," I offered.

"I like that option," she said.

I turned off the water and turned to face her, debating over whether or not to dry my hands. Sookie was standing there all topless in a pair of jeans. The only viable option seemed to be diving face first into her cleavage, so that was precisely what I did, and it made her laugh.

"You are such a boob man."

"This can't be news," I glanced up at her, and then lifted her off the floor. "Counter or couch?"

"Counter," she said. "Couch is for the game sex."

"Just how much of this do you have planned out?" I set her on the counter.

"Not much," she smiled. "But we will be watching the game from the couch, yes?"

"Yes," I nodded, and unbuttoned her jeans.

"Then it's safe to say that we'll be making with the sex on the couch."

"That's a pretty safe bet," I agreed.

Sookie leaned forward and kissed me for a few seconds before tugging my t-shirt up over my head and dropping it on the floor behind me. She reminded me her boobs were sore, so I was careful with them while we were making out. She popped the button on my jeans and reached into them to start stroking me while she kissed my neck. My hands made their way down the back of her jeans and grabbed her ass, which made her moan and nibble at my neck.

She slithered off the counter and knelt down in front of me to take my cock in her mouth to suck me until I was hard. Really, it was killing two birds with one stone since it got me hard and it made her wet. Or, in this case, wetter. I had no doubt she'd been thinking dirty thoughts ever since she mentioned her magic number out on the porch. As soon as I was hard, she stood up and wiggled her way out of her jeans. I kicked mine off as well, and then put her back on the counter.

Sookie leaned back and braced herself on one hand while she used the other to part her lower lips and show me how wet she was. Unable to help myself, I bent at the waist and let my tongue take a long lick up her slit. She held herself open for me while my tongue flicked over her clit until she her hips were starting to writhe a little bit.

"Eric," she moaned, and I looked up into her eyes. "Fuck me now, please."

I growled against her slick skin, and kissed her pussy the way I would her mouth. She cried out, but then pulled my head away by grabbing a handful of my hair.

"I said fuck me," she ordered. She wasn't kidding.

"Good thing I don't need a condom," I smirked, and she looked like she was about to go off on me, but then I wrapped my hand around my cock and guided it toward her. I rubbed the head of it against her clit and her eyes rolled back into her head.

"Eric, please," she whimpered a few seconds later, and I finally gave her what she wanted.

I started slowly, pumping in and out of her at a leisurely pace until she started to pant and use her feet to pull me deeper into her. I grabbed her by her ass to pull her closer to the edge of the counter, and then held her up just a little bit so I could pound into her without the drawer pulls or the counter being in my way. Sookie braced herself on both of of her hands on the countertop, and I couldn't help but watch the way her breasts bounced while I fucked her. I also couldn't help but wonder how much bigger they were going to get before the baby was born.

Jesus.

"Harder, baby," she moaned, and I gave her what she wanted. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Oh God, don't stop!"

I didn't. I grabbed her ass a little harder and drove as deep into her as I could, and when her arms started to wobble as she got close to coming, I slowed down a little and set Sookie back on the counter. I kissed her deeply, robbing her of any breath she had, and even dared to pinch her nipples. She hissed when I did it, but then I felt the fluttering of her muscles around my cock. She was going to come very soon.

I moved my kisses to that spot by her neck that made her weak in the knees and then whispered in her ear, "You look so fucking sexy right now, baby. Do you have any idea how fucking hot it is to watch my cock sliding in and out of you, to feel you come hard for me?"

"Fuck, Eric," she muttered in response as the fluttering got more intense.

"That's it, baby, come for me," I growled in her ear, and started to rub her clit.

"Ah! Eric!" she screamed as her orgasm erupted, and her hands grabbed my ass to pull me deep into her again.

"Fuck!" I shouted at the tight squeezing of her pussy. Her orgasm milked me of mine and I spilled inside her. Fuck, I would never get tired of that. I kissed up her neck to her lips and said, "I love you so much, baby."

Her arms wrapped around my neck and it wasn't until I pulled back that I realized she was crying silently. Shit. Was I too rough? Did I hurt her? Was she having those awful cramps she'd had last summer that left her robbed of a baby? Fuck, fuck fuck.

I pulled out of her and asked, "Sookie, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fi-fine," she cried with a little hiccup.

"You're crying," I lifted her chin. "You're not fine."

"I don't know why."

Women.

The best thing to do was to just give her a hug and let her cry it out. She'd be fine in a few minutes. At least I was getting a taste of what I had to look forward to for the next couple of months.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled.

"It's okay," I reached for a paper towel and handed it to her.

"No it isn't," she said as she wiped her eyes. "It's not fair that something that's probably the size of my fingernail is controlling my emotions right now. Especially after fucktacular sex."

"I'll take tears over throwing up," I countered, hoping to get a smile out of her.

"Ha! You might get both at the same time."

"That sounds like an awful way to spend a Saturday night, babe," I kissed her forehead, and that made her laugh quietly.

"Well I didn't mean right now."

"I don't think it'll be fun in the future either," I said, and took a step back. "Want another milkshake?"

"If you're willing to make it."

"I think that's the least I can do since you're playing Tug 'O War with our kid for control of your emotions," I smirked at her, and bent to pick up my t-shirt to give to her since Sookie wasn't usually one for parading around the apartment naked unless she was looking to get lucky immediately.

"Our kid," she smiled.

I handed her the shirt and considered jokingly asking her if she was sure the baby was mine, but seeing as how she'd just had an emotional outburst over nothing I figured it wasn't a good time for that. So I settled for kissing her again instead.

"Want Oreos again this time?" I asked her.

"Hmm, I think just the chocolate this time."

"You got it," I said, and went to the freezer to pull out the ice cream.

If she was going to start making milkshakes a regular part of her diet, we were going to need to stock up on ice cream.

"You're the best baby daddy ever," she said, and hopped off the counter, only to have to grab it to steady herself. "Whoa."

"What?" I glanced over my shoulder while scooping ice cream into the pitcher.

"Apparently that orgasm was stronger than I thought," she smiled. "I don't have total control over my legs yet."

"Oh," I said with relief. "I thought something was wrong with... you know..." my eyes focused on her stomach.

"Oh," she said, and her hands settled over her lower stomach. "I'm sorry. I forgot that it was just as awful for you too."

"My ego is very happy it's just because I rocked your world so thoroughly," I grinned at her, and then returned the dwindling supply of ice cream to the freezer.

"You always do," she said, and came over to wrap her arms around me from behind.

"That's good to know," I said, and added milk to the pitcher.

"If you didn't know already, then I'm doing something wrong.'

"Well, you could be a little more vocal," I teased. Seriously if she was any more vocal the neighbors were going to start calling the cops.

"If I was any louder your eardrums would burst," she laughed.

I laughed along with her, put the top on the pitcher and then started the blender. I turned to face her and she snuggled against me. The day wasn't ending the way either of us had planned, but it was still a good day.

I glanced over at the clock and said, "The first pitch has probably already been thrown out."

"We should probably get in there then," she said, but didn't move.

"I'm just waiting on your milkshake to finish. Go ahead. I'll meet you in there in a minute," I told her.

"But you're comfy."

"I promise you can use me as your human body pillow," I said, and kissed the top of her head. I needed to turn around and stop the blender anyway, and that wouldn't be easy to do with Sookie attached to me.

"Oh alright," she said, and let go. "I'll be waiting for you."

"I'll be right behind you," I promised and turned to stop the blender.

I poured her milkshake into a fresh glass and was on the way to the bedroom to grab a pair of boxer shorts when I heard her yelling at the left fielder for being a greedy asshole, trying to steal second. I couldn't help but laugh over it since Sookie had made a face like she was smelling rotten eggs the first few times I'd put on a game while she was at my apartment. I wouldn't go so far as to say she was a die hard fan, but she had certainly come around on it, and I appreciated her making the effort. By the time I got back to the living room, boxers on, Sookie had an angry pout on her face and her arms folded over her chest.

"What happened?" I asked her as I handed over the milkshake. She cast a disapproving look at my boxers and shook her head.

"Why are you wearing clothes?" she asked, ignoring my question.

"Because I didn't feel like being buck naked on the couch. Besides, you're wearing my t-shirt," I reminded her.

"At least I have easy access to you in those I guess," she sighed. "And to answer your question, the other team is winning and we suck ass tonight."

"It's only the bottom of the first inning," I wrapped an arm around her and gathered her close.

"Yeah yeah," she grumbled.

"Just give it time. I'm sure things will pick up. The wind is blowing out tonight, so I'm sure we'll see plenty of balls hit Waveland before the night is over," I said and kissed the side of her head.

"I hope so. I don't want it to be a close game 'cause I really do want to bang during."

"That's what the seventh inning stretch is for," I told her.

"You're so smart," she said, and took a drink of her milkshake. "This is so good."

"I'm glad you like it. I didn't know how thick you'd want it." I knew she liked some things thick, but I didn't know if that applied to milkshakes or not.

"I like everything thick," she giggled.

"Lucky for me," I said, and kissed her neck. If I kept that up, we wouldn't make it to the seventh inning.

"More like lucky for you that you were blessed with this cock," she grinned, and put her hand in my lap.

"Ah! Cold hand!" I laughed.

"Whoops," she laughed with me. "Actually, even when it's cold it's still big."

"It's a curse, I know," I smirked, and took her milkshake from her. I took a drink of it and then put it on the table.

"Hey I wasn't do-"

"Quiet, you," I said, and kissed her to keep her quiet.

We didn't make it to the seventh inning. Not even close.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	28. Celebrate

**To prevent my lazy self from update failure, I'm going to post the last three chapters tonight. There's this one, and two more, then the story is complete!  
**

**NSFW  
**

* * *

Chapter 27 - Celebrate

**SPOV**

My doctor was able to get me in on Monday for a quick blood test, and Eric was thankfully able to get there just in time for the results. He held my hand and assured me everything would be okay, and then the doctor came in with a smile on her face.

"The results are positive," she smiled. "You're pregnant."

This time, the news actually made me smile.

"Okay Northman, what are you eating that makes your swimmers so strong?" I asked Eric.

"Hey! You're the only one I've ever knocked up, so I think maybe it's you," he said with a grin, and then leaned over to kiss me.

"I'm fine with that," I smiled, and kissed him again.

"So I take it this wasn't a planned pregnancy?" the doctor asked.

"No," Eric admitted. "Sookie's been on birth control since after her miscarriage last summer so this is a big surprise to both of us."

"But a happy one," I added.

"I'm glad to hear that," she smiled. "Do you know the do's and don'ts already then?"

"Yeah, and I already bought all the books. Just have to dig them out now," I laughed.

"Alright then, I think you're good to go. Stop and schedule your next appointment on the way out, and unless you experience anything abnormal, that'll be the next time I see you."

"Thank you," I smiled, and hopped off the exam table.

We all left the room, and Eric and I stopped so I could make my next appointment. When we got outside, I wrapped my arms around him.

"You still good?" I asked.

"Yep," he smiled. "You?"

"I'm good," I smiled. "It wasn't as scary this time."

"No, it wasn't," he agreed.

"Do you still have time to grab a bite to eat, or do you need to head back?"

"I have to get back, unfortunately," he frowned.

"It's okay," I said, and gave him a hug. "We'll celebrate tonight when you get home."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," he kissed me softly. "Have a good afternoon."

"Love you."

"Love you too," he said, and then headed back to his office.

I decided that I still wanted to celebrate, so I went to get myself some frozen yogurt, chocolate, with brownies in it, and then I went home to take a nap.

While I slept, I dreamed of the future, or at least what I hoped the future would look like. Eric and I were together, and he was holding a tiny baby. He was so big that it looked like he was carrying around a loaf of bread, but it was adorable.

But then the dreams took a turn for the worse, and suddenly the baby disappeared. I was crying, and Eric looked distraught. We looked everywhere, but couldn't find it. I kept calling out a name that I couldn't understand, but knew it must have been the name of our child.

The next thing I knew I was being held by Eric as I cried, and I wasn't sleeping anymore.

"Sook..." he whispered my name.

"Where's the baby?"

"Uh, hopefully still in here," he said, putting his hand on my stomach.

I put my hand over his and snuggled further into him.

"I'm sorry, I was having an awful dream."

"It's okay," he said soothingly. "What happened in the dream?"

"We were happy, and you were holding our baby, but then the baby disappeared and we couldn't find her."

"That is scary," he agreed. "But I'm sure she's right here where she belongs."

"I hope so. I don't want to go through that again."

"I think this time you've got Amelia on your side, and you know how she gets," he smiled, and held me a little tighter.

"You think she had something to do with this?" I asked him with a smile.

"I wouldn't discount it. Amelia was pretty sure we were going to end up together. What better way to keep us together than making sure you get pregnant?" he chuckled.

"If they really gave her that much power up there, they should be afraid. Very afraid."

"I'll second that."

"Besides, she should know that we wouldn't stay together just because of a kid."

"True, but even if things didn't work out we would never be too far away from each other," he rationalized.

"But I wouldn't want you to be attached to me in a way that you didn't want."

"Well then it's a good thing we don't have to worry about that," he assured me.

"Are you sure? I mean, we don't know what will happen in five years. I hope that by then we'll be sending our kid off to school with rings on our fingers, but I can't say that it definitely will happen."

"Neither of us can. All we can do is take things one day at a time. Today, right now, this is where I want to be. I can't say what I'll think in five years any more than you can."

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "I feel like I'm going to be apologizing to you a lot."

"It's okay to be freaked out," he assured me.

"Good, because I am."

"We'll make it work, Sookie," he promised me.

"I know. I think I'm just going to be a little crazy until I can feel her move. And it's going to be a girl, deal with it."

"It doesn't matter to me one way or the other," Eric said, and moved his hand slowly over my stomach.

"Good," I chuckled. "Can you imagine when my stomach is out to here?" I held my hand about a foot over my stomach.

"It'll give me somewhere to put my popcorn when we watch movies," he teased.

"Oh no, that's where my popcorn is going. You can have your own."

"We can't share?"

"Not when I'm that pregnant."

"Then I think I'll be in charge of teaching our kids to share, too," he snickered.

"I'll go back to sharing when I'm not pregnant," I rolled my eyes.

"Uh huh," he poked my side.

"Hey," I giggled. "Did you think of what you want for dinner? I didn't mean to sleep that long."

"Believe it or not, I've been thinking about fried chicken and mashed potatoes all afternoon," he told me. "And being the good little southern girl you are, I'm sure you have a recipe that goes back like twenty generations to wow me with."

"I actually do," I smiled. "But we'll need to go to the store."

"That's fine. I'm also going to require biscuits and honey," he said and got off the bed.

"Are you trying to turn me into a barefoot and pregnant housewife already?" I asked.

"Maybe," he smirked, and took off his suit jacket. "We'll see how this one goes first."

"Ass," I laughed.

"You asked," he shrugged. "I was going to surprise you with my plan, but you had to go and get nosy."

"Damn me," I sighed.

"That'll teach you," he sighed, and started loosening his tie.

"Shit, do you have to look that good taking off your clothes?"

"I could try to ugly it up for you," he said, and sneered at me.

"I doubt you would succeed."

"Then maybe I should just go in the bathroom," he said, and started walking backward in that direction while unbuttoning his shirt.

"Fuck. Me."

For some reason, my hormones went into overdrive and all I wanted was his dick, inside me, and I didn't care where.

"I'll be right out," he said, and started to close the bathroom door slowly. Bastard knew what he was doing.

"Eric Northman, don't you shut that door."

"Is that your mom voice?" he asked with a smirk, and started to pull his shirt off.

"Get your sexy, muscular ass back in here right now, and fuck me into this mattress," I demanded.

Eric dropped his shirt and came toward me in those dress pants and a wifebeater. Ugh.

"Are you going to be this bossy when you're horny the whole time you're pregnant?" he asked.

"I hope so, I kind of like it," I smiled. "I think I'm wet enough now that you wouldn't have to do anything but fuck me."

"Is that right?" he arched an eyebrow and started to unbutton his pants. He was taking too damn long.

"Lose the pants. Now."

Just like that, he dropped the pants. Of course, he was wearing boxers.

"Now the boxers, and then the tank. And grab the handcuffs before you climb in this bed."

"The cuffs?" he looked at me curiously. "You want me to cuff you?"

"No," I smirked.

"My turn?" he chuckled, and went to the dresser drawer to get the cuffs out. he tossed them to me and then took off his tank top. "At this rate we might never get to the grocery store, you know?"

"We can walk a little further to the all night one," I said, and patted the center of the bed.

"Still want the boxers off, or do you want to do that yourself?"

"Take them off, I'm too horny," I said.

He smirked all smug-like, and then dropped his boxers.

I bit my lip, and said, "I'm the luckiest woman alive."

"You're also in my way, baby mama," he said, and picked me up to move me out of the way.

"Assume the position," I giggled.

He kissed me, set me down and then stretched out in the middle of the bed. He put his hands up by the headboard, and smiled when I climbed on top of him to secure the cuffs. Once he was secured, I took a good look at him and licked my lips.

"Is this what you felt when you had me cuffed?" I asked him.

"Depends on what you're feeling."

"I want you to tell me what you felt."

"I liked the idea of giving you something you had been wanting to try," he started. "And knowing that you weren't going anywhere until I decided to let you go."

"That's it, the power. But I know that all I really want is to please you."

"Exactly," he smiled. "And I trust you, dirty girl. Do your worst."

"Then how do you feel about me quite literally sitting on your face?"

"Go for it," he said.

"Safe word?"

"Christmas," he grinned.

"I love you," I said, and leaned down to kiss him.

"I love you too," he said, and stretched forward to kiss me, but I dodged out of the way. "Minx."

"Just wait," I giggled, and climbed up his body to see if I could comfortably do what I wanted.

"You know, this is an excellent view," he said from underneath me.

"Then maybe you should make sure you get to see it more often," I said.

"Anytime you feel like giving it, I'm on board," he said.

"I love you, but stop talking."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, and kissed the inside of my thigh.

"Eric," I almost whined. "Please?"

He said nothing, just looked up at me. That's what I got for telling him to stop talking.

"Are you waiting for me to tell you what to do?" I asked.

He answered with a smile.

"Eric, fuck me with your tongue," I ordered. "Make me come on your face."

His smile grew, and he kissed the inside of my thigh again before doing exactly what I asked. I'd never been in that position before, and every time Eric had gone down on me I'd either been on my back, standing, or sitting on a counter, which... were really most of the ways to do it. But being on top of him, literally riding his tongue was one hell of a heady sensation. I felt like I had all the power, but through Eric's grunts and growls into my pussy, I could tell he was enjoying himself thoroughly as well.

Faster than I had anticipated, the sensations built up until I was crying out his name and literally coming on his face. Eric never faltered, and greedily licked me until I collapsed to the side. Once I caught my breath, I straddled his waist and leaned down to kiss him. I'd always enjoyed the taste of myself, especially when I was tasting it on Eric's lips, and right then was no exception.

"That was so fucking good," I told him. "Are you still good?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Good," I smiled, and reached behind me to stroke him.

His eyes rolled back, and he groaned a little.

"Do you want me to fuck you?" I asked him.

He opened his eyes and looked up at me with an intense stare as he nodded.

"Maybe I'll blow you first," I said, and he grinned.

"Whatever you want, dirty girl."

I kissed him once more, and then positioned myself bedside him. There had been something I'd been wanting to try since I was sure I could do it, and I was finally ready to surprise him.

I started off with my typical amazing as fuck blow job skills which had him groaning, grunting, and panting in no time. And just when I assumed he was least expecting it, I tucked my left thumb into my fist, relaxed my jaw, and took him down my throat.

I knew I'd surprised him when he yelled so loud I was sure people on the street might have heard him.

"Holy Fuck!" he shouted, followed by some incoherent rambling.

Just as quickly as I had sprung that on him, I released him completely and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I giggled at him, and he pulled on the handcuffs.

"Uncuff me," he said, looking very much like he wanted to fuck me through the mattress like I'd asked him to earlier.

"Now now," I said, and straddled him. "I haven't gotten to fuck you yet."

"Sookie-" he started to protest, but stopped when I placed him at my entrance and sank down completely. "Fuck!"

"Mmm that feels so good, baby. Your cock is so fucking big," I moaned, and rocked my hips a little bit before lifting myself off of him completely.

"What the—" Eric looked at me like I was made of evil, but his eyes rolled back again when I repositioned myself to take him down my throat a second time. "Fuck me!" he shouted.

I found out the hard way that giggling with a dick in your throat doesn't work, but I tried it anyway. The vibration made Eric groan loudly, and when I released him again he was panting.

"Sookie, uncuff me," he tried again.

"Nope. I told you to fuck me through this mattress and you tried to be funny. Now who's laughing?" I straddled him again, and slid down his length, pausing at the halfway point and stroking the rest of him with my hand.

"Sookie," his voice was almost pleading.

"Yes, baby?" I asked coyly.

"Fuck me," he said.

"What was that?" I tilted my head like I didn't hear him.

"Fuck me, Sookie. Please, fuck me," he said, and I leaned forward to kiss his chest.

That was what I was waiting for.

I slammed down the rest of the way and his hands pulled at his restraints again. I rocked my hips back and forth, rubbing my clit against his pubic bone. Eric's eyes locked on my breasts, watching them bounce when I started to move up and down.

"Uncuff me," he said between gasps for air.

"Nope," I shook my head. "And every time you ask, I'm going to get off of you from now on."

He growled, and then started to buck his hips up off the bed.

"Shit!" I shouted, not expecting it. I was frozen for a moment, and let him pound into me from below. It felt fucking awesome.

Just as soon as he started, he stopped. I glared at him and the smug little smirk on his face. Bastard knew what he was doing. I wanted him to keep going but at the same time I wanted to hear him beg. So again, I climbed off of him and moved to straddle his face. He attacked me eagerly, immediately latching onto my clit while I held onto the headboard for leverage. I waited until I was just about to come, and then I moved back to his waist and impaled myself on him again.

But I didn't move.

"Sookie," he was tugging at the cuffs again and I arched an eyebrow, prepared to move off of him. "Fuck me, baby. Let me feel you come all over my cock."

"That's my boy," I said, and leaned forward to reward him with a passionate kiss on his lips.

I started to lift myself up and then swivel my hips on the way back down. I'd had enough of the teasing. I really, really needed to come already.

I moved my hips steadily and Eric started to buck up off the bed to meet me. I braced my hands on his chest and when I pinched his nipples he growled and thrust up a little harder. I knew he liked that, which had come as a surprise to me. When I felt myself getting close I reached down to help myself along and rubbed my clit with my head thrown back. I could feel him watching my tits again, and I used my free hand to gently roll one of my nipples since they were still sore.

I came first, giving Eric what he wanted, and he followed right after me. His body convulsed under mine, and for a few seconds he was tugging so hard on the cuffs that I thought he might break the headboard to get to me. When I came down from my high I righted my head and looked into his eyes. That expression on his face was dangerous. When I uncuffed him I was going to get it.

Yay me.

"Eric... remember that you love me," I said with a smile.

"I love you very much," he said, but his expression was still a warning.

"And I just showed you a good time, right?"

"Very much so," he agreed, and thrust his hips up a little.

I moaned, and steadied myself again.

"Do you want me to uncuff you now?"

"Yes, I do," he said, and his calm was a little unsettling.

I reached over to the nightstand to get the key, and then carefully leaned over him to unlock the cuffs. He caught one of my nipples in his mouth and sucked hard, which made me moan and hiss at the same time.

"Eric," I groaned, and held his head to me.

"Cuffs," I heard him try to say around my breast, and when I didn't move, neither did he.

"If you don't stop, I'm going to come again," I said, and my hips started moving.

Shock of all shocks, he actually indulged me and resumed the sucking and flicking of his tongue against my sensitive skin.

"Oh God," I panted, and moved my hips faster. The next thing I knew I was screaming his name again as I came for the third time. Eric groaned and I felt him getting fully hard again inside me. I was barely able to unlock the cuffs before I fell to the side.

Eric wasted no time and rolled on top of me. Somehow his circulation hadn't been affected too much, and he was able to brace his weight on his elbows.

"Did you enjoy that, Sookie?" he asked, and placed a row of wet kisses along my neck and then my collarbone.

"You made me come just through sucking my nipple," I panted. "I enjoyed the fuck out of that."

"I should try the other side," he said, and moved a little lower to see if he would have the same luck a second time.

"I'm not sure it'll be enough this time," I said, and moaned when he nipped at my breast.

"Then I'll just have to be more persuasive," he said as he settled between my thighs.

"I guess you will," I smiled, and waited to enter heaven for the fourth time in the last hour.

**oOoOoOo**

About two hours later I was standing at the stove with a smile that hadn't left my face. There was fried chicken sizzling in the dutch oven, and potatoes boiling away. There were also homemade biscuits in the oven. Eric was sitting on the counter behind me with a similar smile on his face, even though his wrists were still sporting red marks from the cuffs.

Every time I looked at him I giggled, and when I turned around to grab the oven mitts I did it again.

"What are you giggling about?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said, and giggled again. "I think that sixth orgasm rewired my brain."

"It is impressive that you're vertical right now," he agreed.

"My knees are still a little wobbly, but I'm also starving, and I don't trust you to fully cook the chicken."

"I can cook chicken," he said defensively.

"Not like this," I said. "You'll understand when you take a bite."

"Oh really?" he asked, and hopped off the counter to stand behind me. "What's so different?"

"It's my Gran's recipe and method for one, and for two, you have to put love in it."

"I think I could handle it," he said. "Besides, you're the baker in this relationship, remember?"

"Yeah, but the one thing I can cook well is fried chicken."

"So I should back my shit down?" he asked, but I knew he wasn't offended.

"Yes you should. You run things when there's pasta, or other kinds of meat, or... well, everything else, but I got the fried chicken, you feel me?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said, and kissed my neck before hopping back up onto the counter. "I'll just sit here, look pretty and plot ways to make you come a seventh time."

"I'm not sure I can handle a seventh time," I smiled over my shoulder.

"That's not what you said on Saturday," he smirked.

"Last Saturday wasn't as intense as today."

"I think you could handle it," he said.

"You really think so?" I asked. "Those last two were part of a set, baby daddy. That's hard to follow up."

"See, now that just sounds like a challenge," he smiled.

"Feel free to accept said challenge, but don't expect me to be able to walk the rest of the night, or tomorrow."

"And all that says to me is that you will be stuck in bed, vulnerable and in need of assistance," he said.

"It's too bad that you'll be at work all day, unable to help me."

"I could take a sick day," he shrugged. "God knows I have plenty of vacation time stored up."

"I wouldn't ask you to take a sick day just to service me."

"Are you kidding? I can't think of a better way to spend a sick day," Eric laughed.

"Then by all means," I grinned. "I'll feel less bad about having dinner so late."

"I'll go make the call," he said, and slid off the counter again to go get his phone.

I smiled to myself, and checked the biscuits, which were perfectly brown and ready to come out of the oven. I was just covering them with a tea towel when Eric came back in.

"Success?" I asked.

"Yep, I'm all yours tomorrow," he said, and kissed my head on his way to grabbing plates out of the cabinet.

"Thank you for doing that," I said. "I'm going to enjoy having access to you all day."

"I'm going to enjoy it too."

"I'll bet you will," I grinned. "The chicken is done, by the way. Which pieces do you want?"

"Surprise me," he said, and then added, "And I definitely want to experience that little trick you did earlier. That was... yeah, I don't even have words."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you swallowing my co-"

"Oh! That," I giggled, then blushed and looked away.

"Yes, that," he grinned. "I think you've been holding out on me, Sookie."

"Actually, I used a kind of mind hack that Amelia told me about. I'd just forgotten about it. I'm really glad it worked though, because that look on your face... I'm guessing I just popped your deep throat cherry."

"Yes, you did."

"About time I popped a guy's something," I laughed as I put the chicken on paper towels to drain some of the grease off.

"Was it all you dreamed it would be?" he snorted, and leaned against the counter next to me.

"It was better," I smiled up at him. "I enjoyed it. You're just going to have to be very still when I do it until I get used to it."

"I can do that," he said.

"Would it be weird if I asked what it felt like?"

"No, it wouldn't."

"Then are you going to tell me?" I asked, and checked the potatoes, which were perfect, so I quickly dumped them in the strainer so I could mash them.

"Would pretty fucking amazing be enough for you?" he asked.

"It would," I giggled. "Will you get me the hand mixer out please?"

Eric reached into the appropriate cabinet and got the mixer out.

"Thank you, sweetie," I said, and put the potatoes back in the pot I boiled them in before adding the attachments to the mixer and plugging it in.

I liked my mashed potatoes smooth, and the only time I got them that way was when I made them myself. Eric liked his with chunks of potato and a little skin. Once they were well mixed with butter and milk, I grabbed a plate and filled it for myself and took it to the table. Eric did the same, while I got us drinks and made sure to grab the honey for the biscuits.

Once we were both sat down, I said, "Dig in and forever love me."

"I plan to," he said as he smeared butter on his biscuit.

I took a bite of the chicken first, and closed my eyes. "Good lord am I good."

Eric forked a mouthful of mashed potatoes in his mouth and nodded his agreement.

"Just wait," I smiled.

He got to his chicken a moment later and groaned quite loudly.

"You're a goddess," he said.

"Actually, that would be my Gran," I said. "I just mimic well."

"You're still a goddess," he said, and took another bite.

"Thank you," I smiled.

After dinner Eric helped me clean up, and then we settled in on the couch to watch a movie. We only got about halfway through it before he made good on his promise for a seventh, and after that we were both way too tired to do anything other than pass out. So that's just what we did, right after Eric carried me back to the bedroom of course.

If this was what I would get every time we found out I was pregnant, then we were going to have a dozen kids.

* * *

**Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more!  
**


	29. Lazy

Chapter 28 - Lazy

**EPOV**

When my eyes fluttered open my head was facing the bathroom so I turned the other way to find Sookie sprawled out on her back beside me. She was still in my t-shirt, amazingly enough, but I could clearly see the little bud of her nipple underneath as her chest rose and fell with every breath she took. Her legs were parted just enough to give me a peek at the Promised Land when I lifted my head. Goddamn, she was gorgeous.

Even with the wild sex hair I was sure she was sporting and the hint of morning breath wafting in my direction. Her skin had an amazing golden glow to it and I knew if I touched it, it would feel as smooth as silk. My eyes traveled to her stomach and that was where they stayed. Her stomach wasn't flat and never had been in the year and a half that I'd known her. I didn't mind that. In fact, one of the most physically attractive things about Sookie was the curves that kept her from being as flat and narrow as a ten-year-old boy.

I flashed back on the way things were a little over a year before and how trapped both of us had felt by the news that she was pregnant. Running away from responsibility wasn't my style, so even though I'd had my doubts about the whole thing, there was no way I was going to leave her. Even if things between us would have gone sour, I wouldn't have abandoned the baby. The day that would have been Sookie's due date was a difficult one for her.

She'd spent most of it in bed, lying on her side trying to figure out if what had happened really was just a freak occurrence, or did she have some sort of fertility problem. I did the best I could to convince her that what had happened to the baby wasn't her fault. She hadn't chosen it, but I knew there was a part of her that believed because she hadn't been all-in on her decision to keep the baby that maybe she was being punished for a lack of enthusiasm. So I knew this time around, she was determined to do better.

Even though I saw absolutely nothing wrong with her reaction before. We had both done the best we could given the circumstances. Frankly, we weren't prepared for the news this time either, which suggested that after she gave birth we were going to need to double, or even triple protect ourselves. I had suggested this baby was due to divine intervention of the Amelia nature, and maybe that was true. Or maybe we were just a couple of horny bastards who fucked every chance we got.

Whatever the reason, Sookie was definitely pregnant, and I was definitely going to be a father.

Just like before it wasn't the fiscal and day to day responsibility that had me a little panicked; it was the moral responsibility. Teaching a kid right from wrong, how to be a good person and all of that kind of stuff that I worried about. I could control how often the kid ate, when its diaper was changed or even when it went to bed, but I couldn't force it to sleep, make the right choices or be a good person. God, I wondered if my father ever felt this way.

I lifted my hand and ghosted my fingertips over Sookie's abdomen. She shifted a little in her sleep, her legs opening a little more in the process. The touches weren't designed to be sexual. I army crawled backward a little bit and shifted myself so my mouth was near her stomach. I stared at it like I thought maybe the baby was magically going to become visible to me, or maybe I'd suddenly develop x-ray vision. I kissed the spot where I thought the baby might be, and as crazy as it sounds, I started talking.

"Hey, kiddo, I know you probably can't hear me yet in there and if you can, you're probably wondering why the hell I'm waking you up, especially since I'm about to ask you for a favor. See, last year your mom got pregnant too. Before you go thinking we aren't excited about you because of the whole been there, done that idea, just hear me out. See, your mom got pregnant last year too, but she lost the baby. Sad, right? We aren't sure how old you are yet, but you can't be that old. You might be about the same age as the baby we lost," I said, tracing my fingers lightly over Sookie's stomach, and images of Sookie sobbing in what used to be just my bed haunted me.

I was never going to forget the panicked look on her face when she realized she was bleeding, more likely than not losing the thing she didn't even know she really wanted until it was taken from her. A person like Sookie wasn't meant to be that sad for that long.

"Here's the deal, kid. Your mom and I... we didn't plan for you, at least not this soon. You're probably thinking I'm a little nuts since I'm laying in bed having this conversation with your mother's stomach but just on the chance you can hear me, and it matters, I wanted to ask you to just stay put. I don't think your mom could handle going through it again, and I'm not sure I could handle watching her go through it again. It destroyed her the first time, and she wasn't even sure how she felt about it. This time... this time I know she wants you and I know how happy she is that we've been given a second chance to do things right. So please... for her... just stay put, okay?"

I knew it was probably insane and if Sookie ever knew what I'd just done she would probably think I was crazy or something, but I figured it was worth a shot. I kissed her stomach again, hoping that if anyone had been listening to that little prayer, conversation, plea... whatever you want to call it, that they would at least take it under advisement before deciding whether or not we were worthy of keeping this new baby. If nothing else, Sookie certainly deserved to have it. My feelings for the baby growing inside her would probably come in time, at least I hoped they would. The miscarriage hadn't hit me the way it did Sookie, but I suppose that's probably normal. The baby was still something abstract to me to be given a face and a name at a much later time.

To Sookie it was something living inside her one day and the next it was just gone. No more baby. Even if she had still been having doubts about the whole thing, she had been getting used to the idea of being someone's mother. I wasn't generally one for prayers, but I had been pretty devout about it in the last few days. Sookie didn't deserve to go through the pain of a miscarriage a second time, and this time I was in love with her, so watching it happen a second time would be even more heartbreaking than it had been a year ago and that was hard enough.

I turned my head when I heard a sniffle and of course, Sookie was awake and crying. No doubt she had at least heard a portion of what I had said to the baby growing inside her. I braced myself for a monsoon of tears, and hoped a goofy, awkward smile would throw her off course.

"Hi," I said sheepishly.

"Hey," she said, and ran her fingers through my hair.

"Sleep okay?" I asked, hoping to draw attention away from whatever she might have heard of my little confessional slash prayer thingy.

She nodded, but the tears kept falling.

"Why are you crying?" I asked her, even though I was pretty sure I knew.

"Because to me, you're perfect," she said.

"That's pretty high praise considering I still have morning breath," I smiled at her.

"Morning breath aside," she smiled back. "Just... thank you for what you said."

"How much of that did you hear, exactly?"

"I woke up around you telling the baby about the miscarriage."

So she'd heard most of what I said.

"Yeah, I..." I didn't even know what to say.

"It's okay," she said. "It was the sweetest thing I've ever heard, and it was just what I needed to hear, and I love you so, so much."

"I love you too," I kissed her stomach again since it was the closest thing to my lips.

"Come here," she said.

I moved up so we were eye to eye, sharing her pillow.

"Are you upset that I heard it?" she asked.

"No," I said honestly. "I might sound a little crazy, but-"

"Not crazy," she interrupted. "I just hope our kid knows that its father knows best and listens."

"Yeah, me too," I smiled at her, and leaned in to kiss the tip of her nose.

"Can we go brush and take a shower so I can kiss you proper?"

"Yeah, we can do that," I said, and rolled onto my back to let Sookie climb over me. I followed her out of bed to the bathroom, and I started the shower while she loaded our toothbrushes with toothpaste.

"Morning breath sucks," she smiled when she handed me my toothbrush.

"Yes, it does," I said, and shoved my toothbrush into my mouth to take care of that particular problem.

When Sookie and I were done brushing we put the brushes back in their holder and then stepped over to the shower stall. I let Sookie go first, and then followed her in, closing the door behind me.

She stepped under the spray and wet her hair, and then grabbed her bottle of shampoo and started lathering while she stepped out of the way so I could get under the water.

"So what's the plan for today?" she asked.

"Beyond food, I have no idea," I told her. Last night the plan had been to spend the day in bed being lazy. Personally, I was still down with that idea and I told her so.

"This might make me sound like the laziest person in the world since I pretty much stay home all the time anyway, but never getting out of pajamas today sounds like heaven," she said. "I don't even care if we don't have sex today."

"Wha... hey, let's not get crazy," I teased her.

"Oh don't worry, I need to practice my trick on you," she smiled.

"Yeah you do," I grinned.

"I'm glad you like it," she said with a little giggle as she moved around me to rinse out her hair.

"You will never hear me complain about that," I told her as I watched the suds running down her body.

"I didn't think I would," she said. "The day you say, 'No, honey, I really don't want a blow job today,' is the day hell freezes over."

"Pretty much," I said as I started to soap myself up.

"Hell might be frozen over the day I don't want to give one too."

"Also true," I laughed as we traded places so I could rinse off and she could condition her hair.

"And just so you know, I feel very lucky that you actually like giving me head too," she said.

"I do," I nodded. "Very much so. And any time you want to try that face sitting thing again, you just let me know."

"Oh yeah," she blushed. "I liked that a lot."

"I noticed," I smirked. Seriously, she looked so fucking sexy while it was happening with her head thrown back and her hands all... yeah...

"You never did say what you thought of being the one handcuffed."

"Aside from when I wanted you to uncuff me and you wouldn't," I tried to glare at her, but I couldn't. "I thought it was pretty awesome."

"I wasn't finished with you when you wanted me to uncuff you."

"Yeah, you made that obvious," I said, and moved out of the way so she could rinse her hair again.

"Don't complain, you knew the safe word."

"I wasn't complaining," I said. "And it never even occurred to me to use the safe word. That would have been like crying wolf. It was frustrating, but not something I didn't like or couldn't handle."

"Good, because I really, really liked it when you begged for it," she said, and then frowned. "That sounds really awful when I say it out loud."

"I don't think so," I said casually. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to feel powerful."

"I hope not."

"Definitely not," I assured her. "And if I wouldn't have been on board with what you were doing I would have used the safe word."

"I know," she smiled. "And really, a lot of what I was doing was mostly because of the face you make every time we start fucking. It's like you're feeling heaven or something."

"I know that face," I said with a smug smile on my face. I'd seen it on her more times than I could count.

"Do you often look in the mirror when we have sex or something?"

"No," I laughed. "You get the same look."

"I do?" she asked, and I nodded. "Well, that shouldn't surprise me. It is a pretty fucking awesome feeling when you... you know."

"I know."

"Good," she smiled, and looked away with a blush again.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"It's really nothing, I just like that you notice it," she said.

"It's hard to miss... unless we're not face to face," I smirked, and that made her blush more.

"Ugh, I don't know why I'm so embarrassed all of a sudden."

"I don't either, but it's cute," I couldn't help chuckling. "I better be careful about dirty talking around you. I wouldn't want you to explode in a bad way."

"I'm usually so into the dirty talk."

Oh, I knew all about that. It had been dirty talk on our second date that had gotten her into bed with me.

"Eh, maybe the pregnancy hormones are making you less horny, or something," I suggested.

"Actually, I'm not less horny, I'm just blushy."

"Well, whatever the reason, it looks good on you," I said, and then opened the shower door to step out.

"Hey baby, will you put on your flannel today?" she asked before I shut the door.

"Uh, yeah, I guess," I looked at her curiously over my shoulder.

"It just makes you more snuggly," she smiled.

"Ah ha," I nodded. "Then flannel it is."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," I said, and then closed the shower door.

I dried off and then headed to the bedroom to search for the pajamas Sookie had requested. I found them in the back of the closet packed away with the winter stuff since I didn't bother with them in the summertime. I was just pulling the pants on when the water turned off in the shower, and a minute later Sookie emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair and another around her body.

"Want tea?" I asked her, since coffee was supposed to be a no-go.

"Yes please," she smiled.

"You got it," I said, and paused to give her a kiss on my way out of the bedroom. She had yet to kiss me proper, but I knew she'd get to it soon enough.

I went to the kitchen to start the water for her tea, and then looked in the fridge to figure out what to have for breakfast. I was pulling the eggs out when Sookie came into the room wearing a pair of yoga pants and one of my old t-shirts.

"Hungry?" I asked her.

"Starved," she said. "We burned a lot of calories yesterday."

"Yeah we did," I agreed. "How about omelets?"

"With lots of cheese?"

"With whatever you want," I said, and reached for the cheese. "We've got bacon, sausage, veggies... you choose."

"All of it," she said. "In moderation of course."

"Except for the cheese, right?"

"Right," she laughed.

"Will you start the oven so we can warm up some of those leftover biscuits?" I asked her, and closed the fridge once I had everything out on the counter.

"Sure," she said, and turned the oven on a low temperature. "I'm glad you liked my biscuits."

"I love your biscuits," I said, and grabbed her ass.

She yelped and giggled, then said, "Those weren't the biscuits I was talking about, but I'm glad you like those too."

"Honest mistake," I said, even though she knew I was completely full of shit.

"Uh huh," she laughed. "So what are you wanting to do after breakfast? I vote that we just lounge around and see what happens."

"That works for me. We could just lay on the couch and watch movies all day. We haven't done that since the last time it snowed," I reminded her.

She smiled as she remembered that day, and then she put her hands on my face and finally kissed me proper.

"About time," I said against her lips, and then kissed her back.

"I was waiting for the right moment, and that was it," she smiled.

"Yeah, that was a good day, wasn't it?" I asked, recalling the day myself.

"We did a wee bit more than watch movies, but I loved that we were mostly just content to lay on each other and veg out."

"Well, you did bring the two best pillows in the world," I pointed out.

"I did, didn't I? Cause I had my head in your lap for a while, and that wasn't as fun."

"Yes, you did, but I seem to recall your head in my lap being a lot of fun."

"You mean after you realized, 'oh, her head's in my lap,' and got hard?"

"Precisely," I grinned.

"I was slightly worried that it was taking you like an hour to come to that conclusion, but then you were literally poking me in the back of the head."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said, and started layering bacon in a skillet.

"You should," she laughed, and slapped my ass, then went to put the biscuits out on a baking sheet.

We worked on making breakfast together and when it was ready we took our plates to the living room to eat instead of sitting at the kitchen table. I let Sookie have control of the remote for the time being. It was best to get the chick flicks out of the way early on.

"So what are we watching?" I asked as I cut into my omelet.

"I don't know yet," she said as she flipped through channels, and then she went, "Ha!" and put it on Dexter's Laboratory.

"Cartoons? Really?"

"Yes, really," she said, and looked at me like I had two heads. "You have a problem with cartoons? The Jetsons are on next."

"I have no problem with cartoons. I've just never seen you watch them before, that's all," I shrugged, and took a bite of my breakfast.

"Huh," she said. "I love cartoons."

"Good to know."

We settled into breakfast and the Cartoon Network, and after we were done eating Sookie took our plates back to the kitchen. I heard her rinse them off, but neither of us was in the mood to do dishes. When she came back to the living room I was stretched out on the couch, ready to get our snuggle on, and she stretched out on her side in front of me with her head resting on my outstretched arm.

"Comfy?" I asked, wanting to make sure she wasn't too close to the edge of the couch since feeling like you were about to fall was never relaxing.

"Perfectly comfy," she said.

"Good," I said, and kissed the back of her head.

My eyes closed and I heard her occasional giggles every now and then, but eventually I nodded off. When I came to again, it was because I felt Sookie lightly tracing her finger over my face.

"Hmmm..." I groaned without opening my eyes.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"S'okay," I said.

"I was just having trouble believing you're real, and that you're mine," she said.

I smiled, cracked an eye open and said, "If you're horny just say so, Sookie."

"I'm actually not," she said, but she was smiling. "I was being serious."

"Oh," I said, and tried to shift a little bit. When I successfully made it onto my back Sookie shifted on top of me and rested her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and said, "You're definitely stuck with me. At least for now."

"At least for now?"

"In case you ever get sick of me," I said.

"I'm not sure that's going to happen," she smiled down at me.

"Good," I stretched forward and kissed her.

She kissed me back for a moment, and then broke it and started to kiss my neck. It was going well until I started tickling her back, and that made her squirm.

"Oops," I said, but wasn't remotely sorry.

"Oops, my ass," she giggled.

"I'll stop." I dropped my hands.

"Tickling never leads to anything good," she nodded.

"I don't know about that," I said, remembering an instance that started out as playful wrestling on the living room floor but turned into some pretty awesome sex on the living room floor... among other places.

"I was being slightly sarcastic," she smiled. "I remember an awesome time when you let me win. I fell in love with your laugh that night."

"When was that?" I asked curiously.

"The night that ended in all the sex."

I laughed and said, "That's not very specific, Sookie."

"I don't really want to admit how soon it was in our relationship."

I quirked an eyebrow and said, "We're living together and you're my newly minted baby mama."

"And?"

"So what's the big deal?"

"It's not a big deal," she rolled her eyes. "Remember that my embarrassment hormone is running rampant today."

"There's an embarrassment hormone?"

"I hope so," she laughed. "And it was our fifth date."

"Our fifth date..." I thought back and couldn't, for the life of me, remember what we'd done that night. "I don't remember."

"You don't remember? Really?"

"Not off the top of my head," I admitted.

"I'm shocked," she said. "That's the night I got all wet from that puddle, and you put my clothes in your dryer."

"Oh yeah!" I grinned. A city bus and gone past us and totally splashed water up at Sookie. I'd tried to pull her out of the way but it didn't do much good. "Now I remember. The look on your face when the water hit you was pretty hilarious."

"I was so freaking cold."

"You make an adorable little cold person," I told her.

"Even when I was shivering?"

"Even then. I did great things for these," I said, and grabbed her boobs.

"You know, you're the only guy that's ever truly appreciated my boobs."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"I mean in that they focused on them and pleasured me with them instead of treating them like... well, whatever they were doing, it always hurt," I said. "You, on the other hand, made me have an orgasm just by sucking on my nipple. You're quite talented, I hate to break it to you."

"It's a heavy cross to bear," I sighed dramatically.

"You know what else you're better at than everyone else?"

"What's that?"

"Kissing."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded, and bit her lip. "No one else has ever made me wet before just from kissing me."

"That is unfortunate," I said, and pulled her lip free so I could kiss it.

"How did you get so fucking good at everything?" she asked. "You're even good at not making faces in the mirror when you're doing your hair or shaving."

"I don't know," I said honestly. "Natural ability, I guess? Or maybe paying attention to the women I've been with."

I didn't want to get too deep into previous experiences. It always ended in us fighting. Always.

"Oh you pay attention," she grinned. "I distinctly remember you paying very close attention the first time we fucked to what I did and didn't like, and you never, ever did the things I didn't like again."

"Why would I? I can be selfish about a lot of things, but not sex. Why would you keep going back to someone who doesn't make you happy?" I pointed out.

She frowned and said, "Maybe because you're lonely and that small amount of time where you feel wanted is better than nothing."

I really didn't like her answer, or the sadness in her eyes.

"I didn't mean that as a judgment, Sookie, and I'm sorry you ever felt that way," I said honestly.

"I know you didn't," she said. "And I haven't done that since, and I'm definitely not doing it now. You make me incredibly happy."

"Well if that ever changes, you let me know, okay?" I asked her. I didn't ever want her to feel like she was just a body to me. I wasn't okay with that.

"I'm sure you'd figure it out before I did," she said.

Yeah, I hoped she was right about that.

"Well, just to be on the safe side, since I can be a little dense sometimes."

"I promise to tell you if I'm ever not happy with you," she said. "But I don't see that happening anytime soon."

"I hope not," I said, and stretched forward again to kiss her some more.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! One more left!  
**


	30. Epilogue

Epilogue

**SPOV**

"Ames, he's never going to go for me. He's gorgeous," I whispered harshly to her.

She was trying to convince me to flirt with a tall, handsome blonde guy since, as she said, I was long overdue for a good fuck. I'd caught him looking at me quite a few times in the hour we'd been at the bar, but I figured that was mostly because I was wearing a top that had the girls on almost full display.

Amelia was right though that I was overdue. I'd been with one man, and it was in college, and since then I'd only gone as far as giving a guy a hand job or oral. My last sexual encounter had been five months before, and I'd only made out with that guy. I was fairly confident in most respects of my life, but since my job didn't really require me to be too social, I'd grown comfortable being mostly a hermit. The most I got out was when Amelia dragged me out every weekend.

"Sook, he's staring at your tits like they could be his last meal," Amelia insisted. "Just go over and say hello."

Then she pushed me in his direction.

And the luck of the Irish was not on my side that day, because I tripped and fell, right into his arms.

"I am so sorry," I said as I tried to stand back up, but I stumbled again.

He helped me get back on my feet and joked, "Falling for me already, huh?"

"It seems so," I laughed. "Or that someone spilled a beer in a really bad spot."

"Or a really good one," he smiled down at me.

"Depends on how you look at it," I said. I liked that he was actually looking at my eyes when he talked to me.

"I'm Eric," he said, and held his hand out to me.

"Sookie," I said, and took his hand.

"So, Sookie," he said with that big smile fixed to his face again. "Are you really Irish or just pretending?"

"Just pretending, but don't tell anyone," I smiled back. "What about you?"

"Definitely pretending. I won't tell if you don't."

"Pinkie swear?" I said, and held up my pinkie before I could stop myself.

He chuckled and indulged me by hooking his pinkie with mine.

"So what are you drinking?" he asked me, peering over to try and figure out what was in my glass.

"It's a gin and tonic, but I'm thinking of getting an Irish Car Bomb next," I told him.

"Oh yeah?" he lifted a perfect eyebrow. "I don't know... that might be a bit much for a little leprechaun your size."

"Is that so?" I asked, raising my own eyebrow at him. "I think you'd best not underestimate me."

"Okay," he said, and flagged the bartender. "I think someone needs to put her money where her mouth is."

"Gladly," I smiled. He didn't know it, but I could drink most men under the table.

Then Eric ordered four Irish Car Bombs and two shots of Jameson.

"You are drinking two of those, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded.

"Prepare to be beat by a woman," I grinned.

"You think so?" he looked like he welcomed the challenge.

"I do," I said confidently. "Should there be terms?"

"Oh so it's a bet now?" he asked, and I nodded. "Alright. Name your terms."

The bartender put our shots on the bar in front of us.

"If I win, you dance with me," I said.

"I can do that," he smiled, and handed me one of the shots of whiskey. "And when I win?"

"If you win... you choose."

"When I win, you dance with me," he said with evenly matched confidence to my own.

"Clever," I smiled.

"Well, it seems dishonorable to try and get a kiss out of you on a bet," he said, and lifted his shot glass to mine. "So it's a bet then?"

"It's a bet, and just so you know, if you're a good dancer you might get a kiss without a bet."

He winked at me, but said nothing else before tossing back his shot like it was just water. I tossed mine back too, and made a face so he'd think I was weak. The whiskey burned, but I'd gotten used to it over time.

"Burns like a son of a bitch," he said as he set down his shot glass.

"Yeah it does," I said.

The bartender put up the four glasses of stout and the four shots that went with them, and Eric added them to his tab. He turned to me and asked, "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"The real question is whether or not you are sure you're ready to be beat by a girl."

He laughed and moved the drinks around so there were two in front of me and two in front of him, and then he said, "Bring it on, shorty."

"On three?"

"On three," he nodded and picked up his beer in one hand and the shot of Bailey's in the other.

I mimicked his actions, and then started counting. "One... Two... Three!"

We both dropped our shots into the beer, and then started chugging. I wanted to not focus on him at all and just pretend that I was drinking with my brother, which was hard, because Eric was fucking delicious. But I did it, and I was dropping my next shot into the second beer just as Eric was finishing up his first. He started to catch up at the end, and we almost had a tie, but I slammed my glass back on the bar just before he did.

"Ha!" I laughed. "Not so little now, am I?"

"Looks like I owe you a dance," Eric said gracefully.

"Yes you do," I smiled, and offered him my hand. "Please catch me when all that booze hits me and I fall down."

"Let's just try to keep you vertical... for now," he winked, and took my hand to lead me to the very crowded dance floor where people were already dancing to very loud Irish punk rock.

"Don't think you're going to liquor me up and get lucky tonight, mister," I yelled over the music when he found us a good spot to dance.

"I don't need liquor," he smirked, and spun me around.

"Cocky!"

He just smiled smugly and kept dancing. Eventually the floor got so crowded that the only way to dance was to be pressed right up against him, which I really, really enjoyed. He was muscular underneath his clothes, and his hands... I loved his hands. They were big, and strong, and all over me, but not in a bad way. I especially enjoyed it when he turned me around and pulled me back against him as we danced. Every second of it was fun, but eventually I got too hot to keep going.

I turned around and motioned for him to dip down so I could say something in his ear.

"I'm hot! Can we go get some air?" I asked.

"Whatever you want," he said with a smile, and followed behind me when I started pulling him through the crowd.

I kept pulling until we were almost to the door, and then I turned to face him again.

"Do you want to go outside?"

"Yeah. A little fresh air might be good," he said.

I grabbed his hand, and headed out the door. The street was also crowded, so we went down the block a little until we found a less occupied spot.

"This is so much better," I sighed.

"God bless March for being cold," he said with a smile and tilted his face skyward.

I looked up at him and smiled. He was so, so tall, and beautiful, and I couldn't believe he was actually out there with me instead of inside hitting on more girls.

"So do you do the St. Patrick's Day thing every year?" I asked him.

"I do," he lowered his head to look at me. "It's a fun day, even if you just get completely shitfaced, go home and eat cold pizza at three in the morning."

"That sounds delicious," I said.

"I ordered pizza last night so I would be prepared," he confessed with, I shit you not, a giggle.

He was so fucking adorable.

"You're a smart guy."

"Yeah, we'll see if you still think that tomorrow when the hangover hits," he smirked.

"Are you implying that I'll be seeing you tomorrow?" I asked.

"Not at all. It's just a proven fact that no one drinks multiple Irish Car Bombs without waking up feeling like their head is stuck in a cement mixer."

"It got me a dance with you, so it'll be worth it," I smiled.

"You could have had that anyway," he said, and pushed my hair off my shoulder, grazing my neck with his fingertip in the process. His touch make me shiver in a very good way.

"What else could I have?" I asked.

He moved so he was standing in front of me, which meant I was backed up against a brick wall. He towered over me and asked, "What else do you want?"

"I want a lot, but right now I'd settle for a kiss," I said.

He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine, but quickly came back for more.

It may have been a while since I'd been kissed well, or it could have been the alcohol, or even the insane amount of attraction I felt towards this man, but when he unleashed his kissing skills on me I almost went weak in the knees.

Just when it was getting really good, he pulled back, and I wanted to groan in frustration.

"Do you think I could have more of that?" I asked him. "And maybe some of it while naked?"

"I think you can have anything you want," he said, and kissed me again.

I'm not completely sure how long we stood there, kissing, but I do know it didn't break up until Amelia tapped on Eric's shoulder.

"Sorry to break this up," Amelia said with a grin that told me she wasn't sorry at all.

"What do you want, Ames?" I asked, and felt my face flush with embarrassment.

"Just doing the best friend thing here and making sure tall, blond and fuckable isn't taking advantage of you, that's all. You're not, are you?" Amelia looked to Eric who had a confused look on his face even though he was smiling.

"No more than she asked me to," Eric told Amelia.

"I'm fine, Amelia," I smiled reassuringly at her.

"Just checking," she said, and then tugged on Eric's sleeve so he'd lean down. She whispered something in his ear that made him smile and when she released him she patted his shoulder and said, "You kids have fun!"

"What did she just tell you?" I asked him when Amelia walked away.

"That this spot right here," he said, touching my neck with his fingertip. "Is your biggest weakness. And if I make you cry some guy named Tray will shoot my dick off."

I smiled, and said, "Yeah, he will, and uh... yeah, that spot will get you places."

"I'll try to remember that," he said. "Should we go back inside?"

"Yeah. I'll buy you a shot this time."

"Good deal," he said, but then leaned down to kiss me again. This time going after that spot on my neck.

I let out a moan, and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"You're doing a dangerous thing, Eric."

"Should I stop?" he whispered in my ear, and nibbled on it a little.

"Definitely not," I said.

He growled and then went back to that spot on my neck.

"Hey Eric?" I asked when I realized that it felt like he was kissing a very different area of my body.

"Hmmm..." he hummed against my skin.

"Do you wanna get out of here?"

He lifted his head, looked into my eyes and said, "Yes, I do."

"Your place or mine?"

"You choose."

"Mine," I said. "It's close by."

"Fine with me," he said, and stood up straight.

"Good," I smiled, and took his hand.

The bar was within walking distance of my building, and I shot a quick call to Amelia on the way back to let her know I was gone. She didn't answer, so I assumed she was still in the bar and left her a voicemail.

Ten minutes later I was pulling Eric into my apartment, and the next thing I knew we were on the couch picking up right where we left off. I thought he was amazing when we were vertical, but being horizontal with Eric was a million times better.

"This might sound stupid," I said when he was attacking my neck with kisses again. "But how far is too far?"

"We'll go as far as you want to go," he said between kisses.

"I think," I started to say, and then moaned when his hips ground against mine. "Ugh."

"Don't think too much," he advised. "We'll stop when you want to stop."

"I just think I've had too much alcohol for the sex thing," I said. "But I don't want to stop yet."

"Okay," he said, and kissed me before I could start rambling again.

We kissed for what seemed like hours, and I would have been perfectly content making out with him for a whole freaking week. It was that good. Eventually, items of clothing started coming off, and before I knew it we were both topless, and I was straddling Eric's waist.

"You're so beautiful," I told him.

"So are you," he said, and let his eyes drift down to my chest.

"Do you want to take off my bra?" I asked with a giggle.

"Very much," he nodded. I swear he was drooling a little bit.

"Go right ahead," I said.

He leaned forward to kiss me, and at the same time he reached behind my back and popped the clasp like a pro. His fingers gently pulled the straps down my arms, and once it was on the floor, his hands covered my boobs.

"Verdict?"

"Homegrown," he said with a sloppy smile. "That's a good start."

"I don't like plastic body parts," I smiled.

"Me either," he said, and dipped his head to kiss one of my breasts.

I was content to let him play since it not only felt good, but I wanted to see how he handled them, and handle them he did. By the time I pushed him back down again I was almost ready to just have sex with him, and I'm actually surprised I had enough non-alcohol soaked brain left to not do it.

"My turn," I said, and my hands went to his jeans.

"No plastic parts there either," he smirked.

"I should hope not," I smiled.

I got his zipper down, and then I reached into his boxers. My eyes went a little wide, and I started stroking him.

"I'm impressed," I told him.

"Thank you," he said in a strained voice.

"Do you mind if I..." I said, and looked down to where my hand was.

"Not at all," he said as his eyes rolled back into his head a little bit.

I smiled, and pulled him out before I continued stroking. He was big. Very big. I was actually kind of glad I wasn't planning to have sex with him that night. Eric was the definition of proportional.

I watched his face as I stroked him, and when I added a twist and he groaned I couldn't stop myself from moving off the couch and taking him into my mouth.

"Fuck," he groaned, and grabbed the couch.

I moaned around his length and swirled my tongue around the head. I didn't have a huge amount of experience in the sex department, and I didn't really have a lot in the oral department either, but at least oral was something I was good at, and something I enjoyed giving.

He was too big to fit all of him in my mouth, so I used one hand to stroke what didn't fit while my other hand went into my pants. After a minute or two I looked up at him to find that he was watching me touch myself. I blushed at first, but then I saw the lust in his eyes. I released him from my mouth.

"You okay there, Eric?" I asked him with a smirk.

"Uh huh," he nodded, and looked like he was trying to concentrate on something.

"Want me to keep going?"

"Yeah," he nodded again and I noticed he was gripping the couch cushions so hard his knuckles were white.

"Don't come in my mouth, okay?"

I didn't know where he'd been.

"I'll warn you," he said through a clenched jaw.

I decided not to torture him any longer and wrapped my lips around him again.

"Fuck," he groaned again, and a moment later I felt one of his hands in my hair.

My head bobbed, and I stopped to suck hard on the head every once in a while. When I heard him panting and groaning, I pulled my other hand out of my underwear and gently fondled his balls to see what kind of reaction I'd get out of him.

He growled, his grip tightened on my hair and his hips bucked up off the couch a little bit.

I wanted to smile, but smiling and blowjobs don't mix, so I kept doing what I was doing. When I increased the speed and intensity of my actions, he finally gave me that warning.

"Sookie, I'm close," he said, gently pulling my head up.

I released him again, but kept stroking and playing with his balls until he came, and boy did he ever. He cursed loudly when he finally let go and made a big mess all over his torso, thankfully not getting any on my couch.

I giggled and grabbed the box of tissues off my end table so he could clean himself up when he calmed down a little.

"Jesus Christ," he said as he gasped for air. "That was... fucking awesome..."

"Thank you," I smiled, and started wiping him off anyway.

"Do I get to give back?" he asked, stilling my hand as it moved across his stomach.

"Only if you want to," I said.

"Oh, I do," he nodded with a devilish little smirk on his face.

"Then by all means..."

Eric helped me up, and then leaned forward to kiss my stomach while he unbuttoned my jeans. The little bit of scruff on his jaw tickled and it made me giggle.

"Ticklish?" Eric asked, looking up with amusement in his eyes.

"Very," I admitted.

"Good to know," he smirked, and then went back to kissing my stomach while he slid my pants down.

His eyes trained on mine, but his lips kept moving while he slid my panties down, too. His hands landed on my hips, and then moved down to cup my ass and pull me a little closer. His mouth moved down and he kissed from one hip to the other before moving a little further south. I could feel his breath on my thighs and my fingers ran through his soft, silky hair.

Before he could go where I really wanted him, Eric pushed me back and got up off the couch. He laid one hell of a kiss on me that completely stole my breath, and then pushed me down onto the couch. He tugged my jeans and panties the rest of the way off, and then dropped to his knees in front of me. He kissed the inside of my thigh, smiling a little when I started to giggle again, but the grazing of his fingers against my lower lips stopped that.

"Mmm… you're wet already," he stared into my eyes. "Did sucking my cock do this to you?"

I nodded, even though it wasn't just that. There was all the kissing and boob handling before that. He moved just that little bit to the left, and then I felt his tongue lick up the length of my slit a few times. His fingers parted my folds and he kissed my clit before flicking his tongue against it. My back arched and my hand was back in his hair. He was good about letting me direct him a little, even though he didn't need much direction at all.

Eric slid a finger inside me and my hips lifted up to meet the slow thrusting of it. When he added another he latched onto my clit and alternately sucked and thrust his tongue against it in time with the rhythm of his fingers until I was panting and moaning, and pulling his head closer to me.

"Eric," I moaned his name, knowing I was close.

He twisted his fingers a little and on the outstroke, he found a spot inside me that made me moan loudly. He growled, and searched for it again. I cried out when he found it a second time, and his tongue moved faster against my clit until I felt myself exploding. For a second I was sure I pulled a handful of his hair out. My eyes rolled back and then squeezed closed as I came.

"Fuck, you're sexy when you come," he said against my thigh, and sucked on it a little bit as I came down from my high. His fingers were still stroking gently inside me, prolonging the feelings.

"You are way too good at that," I panted.

He stilled his fingers and asked, "Should I stop?"

"If you want to keep going and give me another, I won't stop you."

He smiled, but removed his fingers just long enough to lick them clean and reposition me on the couch so I was under him.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Good," he said, and then kissed me hard.

His hands were on my nipples for a few moments before one hand moved down my stomach and back between my legs. He broke the kiss to find that spot on my neck again, and I was sure I was going to have a hickey by morning. His fingers slid inside me easily, and slowly began to pump in and out. I was panting for air in no time, and when I felt his erection pressed against me I managed to get a hand between us to stroke him while he fingered me. It seemed only fair.

In spite of how drunk I was, he got me off again quickly and might have gone for a third if his own orgasm wouldn't have interrupted us. That time he came on me, but I didn't mind since it landed on my stomach and not near my lady business.

"Fuck," he groaned and dropped onto the couch, trailing kisses along my shoulder.

I was impressed that he wasn't pushing me to actually fuck him.

"I know what you mean," I sighed happily. "I needed that."

"Uh huh," he agreed.

"Thank you," I told him, and kissed his nose.

"You're very welcome," he said, and kissed my chin before reaching over me to get the box of tissue off the table. "Sorry I made a mess here."

"You kind of can't help it," I chuckled.

"Not really," he smiled at me.

"Are you thirsty?"

"Yeah, actually," he said, and started to push himself up off of me.

"I think all I have is water and beer."

"I think I should stick to water at this point," he said, and pulled me up off the couch. "Goddamn, you look good naked."

I blushed, and said, "Thank you. I'm glad you think so."

"I do, but you should probably put some clothes on before I attack you again," he warned.

"That, I can do," I smiled, and started looking around for my underwear. "Where did you toss my panties to?"

"They should be on the floor with your jeans," he said as he got himself all tucked away.

"Aha," I said, and found my pretty lace boyshorts with my jeans. I pulled them on, and then put my shirt back on. "Can I go pantless?"

"It's your house," he chuckled.

"I just didn't know how it would affect your urge to attack."

"I guess we'll find out," he shrugged.

"Well then, follow me to the kitchen," I smiled.

"So tell me the truth," Eric said as we walked. "Was tonight the first time you ever had an Irish Car Bomb?"

"Nope," I smiled.

"That impresses me," he smiled.

"I'm an impressive girl, what can I say?"

"You are, and if it wasn't for your awesome rack, I would have won," he said. "You distracted me."

"Uh huh," I laughed, and pulled two bottles of water from the fridge and handed him one.

"Thank you," he said and twisted the cap off.

He then proceeded to drink half the bottle in three large gulps.

"You're welcome," I said. "Thirsty?"

"Yes, and trying to limit the clusterfuck of a hangover coming my way."

"Good thinking. There's like twenty more bottles in there, so if you want more, help yourself."

"I might."

"Do you want to go sit down and talk?"

"Sure," he smiled, and finished off his water. He grabbed another bottle for good measure, and then followed me back to the living room.

"So, Eric, are you going to remember all this in the morning?"

"I hope so," he said as he plopped down on the couch next to me.

"I hope so too," I smiled. "And just so you know, I never do this. Not that this is bad or anything."

"I don't either," he said, and dug into his pocket to produce his cell phone. "You know, just to be on the safe side maybe we should trade numbers now so we don't forget. I definitely want to see you again."

"Yeah?" I smiled, and took his phone when he handed it to me.

"Absolutely. Any girl who can dance like that after slamming two Irish Car Bombs is a girl I want to spend more time with."

"Any guy who looks at my face when he's talking to me and doesn't push for sex is a guy I want to spend time with," I smiled. "My phone is in my jeans pocket."

Eric leaned down to get my jeans, and he found my phone a minute later. He handed it to me and then gave me his number so I could program it. I programmed mine into his phone and handed it back to him so he could fill out the rest of it. Some people like to put nicknames instead of real names.

"So," I said. "What do you do for a living?"

"I work as a financial planner for a big firm down at the Mercantile Exchange," he said.

"Do you wear a suit?"

"Everyday," he nodded.

I smiled and bit my lip.

"What?" he looked at me curiously.

"Nothing, I just... I like suits."

"That smile tells me you more than like them," he smirked.

"I have a thing for a man in a well-fitting suit."

"I see," he nodded.

"Is that weird?"

"Only if it's because daddy used to wear suits all the time," he said with a smile.

"Not that I remember," I said. "My dad worked in construction. He probably only would have worn a suit to mine or my brother's wedding."

"Would have?"

"He and my mom died when I was young," I told him.

He looked at me sympathetically when he said, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thank you," I said. "But I've had a lot of time to deal with it."

"Still sucks," he said. "I could be closer with my parents, but at least I have the option of changing our relationship if I want to. And now I kind of feel like I dick for even saying that. Sorry."

"It's okay. We all take things for granted. I took my parents for granted before they died, and by then it was too late."

"Sometimes it's hard to see how important something is to us before we lose it," he said.

"That's life."

"Yes, it is," he nodded.

"Do you want to watch some TV?" I asked. Too much heavy stuff would be a bad thing.

"If you want to."

"I just don't want to scare you off with all this heavy talk."

"Why would that scare me off?" he quirked an eyebrow. "We all have a past and have had bad things happen to us."

"Some guys just... you know what, no. You're not most guys."

"I hope not," he said. "But we don't have to talk about anything you don't want to talk about. TV is fine."

"I'm actually really tired. You wore me out," I smiled.

"I'm not even sorry," he said with a smile. "I should probably get going though, so you can get some rest."

"Oh," I said, unable to hide my disappointment.

"Unless..." he trailed off, and reached for my hand. "Did you want me to stay?"

"Yeah," I said. "Only if you don't need to leave."

"I don't. I just didn't want to be a presumptuous jerk, or crowd you or something."

"You're not," I smiled.

"Good," he looked relieved, and then moved closer to me on the couch.

"Wanna make out for a while?"

"I thought you were tired?" he smirked.

"That's where the for a while part comes in."

"Oh, well, in that case," he said, and then kissed me.

We continued to make out and talk until we were both tired enough to pass out, which we did, right there on the couch. It was actually the perfect end to a first meeting, and when we woke in the morning, we still remembered it all.

**oOoOoOo**

My eyes fluttered open, and the first thing I saw were bright lights that made me close them tight again. I tried to remember what had happened and where I was, and after a moment of confusion it all came flooding back to me. I had gone into premature labor. I didn't remember much after getting to the hospital. My hands went to my stomach, which was sore and deflated.

"Eric?" I asked, and opened my eyes again in a panic.

"Hi," he smiled at me when he came into my field of vision. "I'm glad you're awake. There's someone you should meet."

"Is she okay?" I asked. I was about to burst into tears.

"She's perfect. A little small, but she's fine," he bent and kissed me. "She's got your eyes."

"Where is she?"

"Right over there," he pointed to one of those plastic bassinet things, and then went to go get her. He came back a few seconds later with a little pink bundle. "Alright, baby girl, say hi to your mommy."

I sat up slowly and winced in pain, but as soon as Eric put her in my arms I forgot all about it.

"Oh my goodness," I said, and my eyes filled with tears. "She's so small."

"And she's got a ton of blonde hair under her hat," he sat on the edge of my bed.

I lifted the hat a little and saw an adorable blonde head of hair. She had my nose, and Eric's long eyelashes. I was sure her eyes were blue since he told me they were mine, but they could change as she got older.

"Does she have all her fingers and toes?" I asked. I didn't want to unwrap her.

"She's perfect, babe. You did good," he smiled at me, and when he reached out to touch our daughter, his hand was bigger than her whole head.

"She's so small," I said again, and started full on crying.

"She's just over six pounds, but the doctors have checked her out and she's fine. Her lungs are good and she came out screaming," Eric assured me over my tears.

"Of course she did, she wasn't done baking yet."

He laughed and said, "I suppose not, but she's doing fine."

"Did you call your parents yet?"

"I did," he smiled. "Mom is booking a flight out for next week, and she's bringing Pam with her. Dad is excited and said he'll make plans to come up after Mom does. And just so you know, you're okay, too. The doctor didn't have to remove anything. We got lucky."

"Oh my god I didn't even think of that. So we can still have kids?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "And if our Amelia theory is correct, you'll be pregnant again within a year."

"If she knows what's good for her, she'll give us at least two years," I smiled.

"You were always better at talking sense into her than I was," Eric smiled as the baby opened her little eyes.

"Hi, baby," I said, and teared up again, just as the last bout dried up. "I'm your mama."

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Eric asked me, and adjusted our daughter's hat a little bit.

"I was thinking Amy," I said. "Amelia said her mom used that as her nickname in her baby book."

"I like it," he smiled. "What do you think, Amy?"

"I think she'll be fine with it," I smiled down at her. "Do you want to pick her middle name?"

"How about Elizabeth?" he suggested, which was my middle name. "That way you and Amelia will always be together."

"You don't think she'll hate us for naming her after me?"

"Nah," he shook his head. "Little boys get named after their father or grandfather all the time. Besides, you're going to be such an awesome mom I think she'll be proud of the name."

"Amy Elizabeth Northman," I smiled. "I think it's perfect."

"I like the sound of it," he said, and leaned over Amy to kiss me.

"I love you," I told him. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"I love you too. It was definitely a nail biter there for a little while," he told me. "But it wasn't your fault. I'm just glad you came back to me."

"I'll always come back to you."

"I guess we're an us now," he said, looking down at Amy, whose eyes were closed again.

"We have a kid," I said with a big grin. "We're gonna screw her up so much, but we'll love her enough that it won't matter."

"And she's never going to a bar on St. Patrick's Day," he said, which made me laugh and my stomach hurt.

"Just try and stop her," I chuckled. "And don't make me laugh."

"Sorry," he said, and leaned down to kiss me, and then the baby. "Can I get you anything?"

"Will you go grab a nurse? I just don't know what I'm allowed to do, and I think I have to pee."

"Yeah, sure," he said, and kissed me one more time. "I'll be right back."

While he was gone I had a few words with my daughter.

"Okay, listen up, Amy," I said. "I named you after my best friend in the whole world, and she would have been the best aunt to you. As awesome as Amelia was, I don't want you to feel pressured to live up to her name. She would just want you to be you, and that's what I want too. I don't care if you want to be a clown when you grow up, you just have to promise me you'll do what makes you happy. And you have to love your father and me and not date until you're at least twenty-five."

Eric came back in the room with a nurse behind him, and he gently took Amy from me after I gave her a kiss.

**EPOV**

"Okay, bed or couch?" I asked Sookie when we walked into the apartment. I didn't know where she would be most comfortable, and getting up and down was difficult for Sookie. Probably would be for a couple of weeks.

"If you won't mind hanging in the bedroom with me when I'm awake, then bed."

"That's fine with me," I said, and then Holly came out from the kitchen with a grin on her face.

"You're here!" she said, and crossed the room to give Sookie a gentle hug. "How are you feeling?"

I'd asked Holly to come by and do a quick load of laundry for us so Sookie would have clean sheets to sleep on. Judging by the smells in the house she'd also taken it upon herself to cook for us, which was fine by me.

"Sore, but happy," Sookie smiled.

"I remember how that feels. I had to have a c-section with Molly. She refused to turn," Holly said sympathetically, and then bent to peek in on Amy. She gasped and said, "She's just the most precious little thing I've ever seen."

"Yeah, I'm rethinking that whole wanting her to look like her mother thing," I confessed, and Sookie elbowed me.

"She'd be gorgeous either way, and you know it," Sookie said.

"That's the truth," Holly smiled up at us. "Congratulations, you two."

"Thank you," I smiled at her. "And thank you for your help around here."

"Oh, please," she waved us off. "I remember how hard it is when you first bring a baby home. You think you're going to keep up with everything and the next thing you know there are empty bottles all over the place and toys on the floor. They aren't kidding when they say a baby changes everything."

"I have a feeling you're very, very right about that," Sookie smiled. "And we really do appreciate the help. I feel a little unprepared with her coming early."

"I'm just glad you're okay. Tray wanted to be here, but he couldn't get anyone to cover the bar," Holly smiled. "But he did send along a little gift. I put it in Amy's room."

"Tell him thank you," Sookie said with a smile. "How are things between you two?"

"Very good," Holly smiled.

She and Tray had been seeing each other for the last three months. They made a cute couple and her girls adored him.

"I hate to run out so quickly, but I have to go get the girls from school. There's a pot of chicken and dumplings on the stove, and whatever you don't eat today can be frozen for another day. And I also put a baked spaghetti in the freezer for you too so you don't have to worry too much about meals today and tomorrow. If you need anything else just let me know," Holly said.

"We will. Thank you, Holly," Sookie said, and gave her another hug.

"You're welcome, sugar," Holly kissed her cheek, and then moved over to me to hug me too. "Take good care of my girls, mister."

"I will," I promised her, and then Holly bent to give Amy a kiss on her forehead.

"And you, you little angel, sleep through the night for your mama, okay? She's had a rough couple of days," Holly said.

Amy snorted.

"And she's got Amelia's sense of timing and humor," I said.

"If that's true we have our hands full," Sookie laughed.

"You will anyway," Holly said as she stood up.

"Look how she came into the world," I pointed out. Amy had certainly made a memorable entrance, at least for me. It kind of sucked that Sookie had no memory of it since she'd been unconscious at the time.

"I have a feeling she'll always be surprising us," Sookie smiled down at our little girl.

"I hope so," I said.

"She will," Holly said, and then said goodbye one more time before letting herself out of the apartment.

"Bed?" I asked Sookie, and leaned down to take Amy out of her carseat since bending was also on the list of ouchie things Sookie hated doing.

"Yeah," she nodded. "And if the munchkin stays asleep, maybe a bowl of that amazing smelling food Holly made?"

"Deal," I said, and lifted Amy from her seat. It was amazing how much her face had changed in just three days.

I followed Sookie back to our bedroom and set Amy down in the little co-sleeper we'd attached to Sookie's side of the bed since she was serious about giving breastfeeding a try. Then I helped Sookie into bed, and stacked her pillows behind her the way she wanted them.

"Comfy?" I asked her.

"As comfy as I can be," she smiled, and puckered her lips for a kiss.

I kissed her and asked, "Do you want food now, or do you want to wait?"

"Now. Hospital food doesn't cut it."

"You got it," I said, and kissed her again. "I'll be right back."

I left her alone with Amy and went to the kitchen to get her a bowl of the chicken and dumplings Holly had made. I grabbed some crackers for good measure just in case, and poured her a glass of milk too. When I got back to the bedroom she was turned on her side a little and staring at Amy.

"We're never going to sleep again, are we?" I asked her, and handed over the bowl of chicken and dumplings.

"I'm sure we'll pass out from exhaustion at some point," she smiled as she took the bowl. "Thank you, sweetie."

"You're welcome," I said, and sat at the edge of the bed. "Think she likes it here so far?"

"She hasn't cried too much, so I hope so."

"She'll get used to it. Her new accommodations are definitely roomier than before," I smirked.

"Definitely, but I'm kind of having separation anxiety. It's weird not having her inside me."

"She's not too far away," I said, and when Amy started to fuss a little I picked her up. She was barely bigger than both of my hands.

"She looks smaller than a loaf of bread in your hands," Sookie said.

"I could just carry her around in my pocket," I suggested.

"I think she might outgrow your pocket eventually," she smiled.

"Eventually," I said.

"By the way, you holding a teeny baby is kind of attractive. I'm going to need a lot of pictures of that so I can get the happy going again once I'm healed."

"Mommy porn," I chuckled and Sookie nudged me with her foot.

"It would be like me dressed up in baseball gear or something. But sexy baseball gear."

"We'll look into that once you're back on the market," I told her.

"And you can just deal with my baby weight by the way. I'm not snapping back like those celebrities who leave their kids with nannies right away so they can work out non-stop and starve themselves," she said with a teasing smile.

"I'm not even worried about it," I told her.

"Good, because I seem to recall you liking the bigger butt."

"It looks good on you," I smiled at her.

"Thank you," she grinned.

Amy started to stretch a little and she yawned all big and adorable, which had Sookie cooing at her immediately.

"Oh she's so cute! And I think she used to do that when she was in me."

"Oh yeah?" I asked, and laid Amy down on the bed so she could move around more if she wanted to.

"Yeah, remember when the front of my stomach would push out? I think she was doing that. We were seeing her stomach."

"She was fun to push around in there," I agreed, remembering how Sookie would press on her belly to move Amy around when she was uncomfortable.

"Until she kicked me in the kidney when I made her mad."

"I'm sure that was an accident, wasn't it, baby girl?" I asked. When I held my finger out to her little hand, she wrapped her fist around it. "She's got a good grip."

"She's never going to do anything wrong in your eyes, is she?" Sookie smiled at me.

"I'm sure she will... just not for at least twenty years."

"Wait until she's twelve," she said. "They start early these days."

"Start early with what?"

"Liking boys, makeup, bras, periods... all that girl stuff."

"I can handle that."

"You sure? Even when she's suddenly embarrassed to even be in the same room with you?"

"Shhhhh..." I said, and then leaned over Amy. "Don't listen to her, Amy. She's talking crazy."

"Just you wait," Sookie laughed, and then took a bite of her food.

"Why do you want to ruin it?" I shook my head at her.

"Sorry, Amy will be your little princess forever, and never do anything wrong. She'll also not have a boyfriend until she's at least twenty, and she'll marry that boy before having the sex."

"Well let's not get carried away," I said. "Let's just hold off on her hating me for a little while. She's not even a week old yet."

"She's got years of loving you ahead of her," she smiled, and held up a spoonful of chicken and dumplings. "Now try this, it's delicious."

I took a bite and said, "Damn, that is really good."

"You should eat, sweetie. You're going to run yourself ragged helping me."

"I will," I promised. "I'll wait until you're done just in case the boss needs something."

"She is the boss now, isn't she?"

"I thought that became obvious when you spent eight weeks puking your guts out," I reminded her.

"Ew, don't remind me."

"Just saying," I shrugged.

"Well I don't want to puke again until I'm pregnant again," she said.

"That's an excellent goal," I told her, and ten seconds later Amy started fussing again. I looked at the clock and said, "I think it's feeding time at the zoo."

"Yeah, I think it is," she said, and set her bowl aside. "I'm not sure how much I like this breastfeeding thing though."

"Well, whenever you're done, you're done," I said, and lifted Amy to hand her over to Sookie.

She unbuttoned her shirt, and tried to get Amy to latch on.

"It's so difficult getting her to latch sometimes. And most moms I talked to said they felt a connection, and I do, but it's not as profound as they made it sound. I just feel like you're missing out on bonding time with her too by not being able to help with this. Plus she did better with the bottle nipple than with mine."

"Well, Amy and I get plenty of bonding time while you're sleeping, so don't worry about that. But if you're not comfortable, or it's not working out for both of you then you don't have to keep doing it," I told her.

"I won't be a bad mom?"

"Not at all. There are plenty of moms that don't breastfeed, Sook. You're a bad mom if you don't feed her at all."

"Then I'll give myself another two days to try and hack it, and if I can't, it's the bottle for this one."

"That sounds fair," I nodded.

Sookie looked down at Amy and smiled when she finally latched on and started drinking.

"That's my girl," she said, and looked at me. "Your parents are going to fall in love with this cutie."

"I think that's a pretty safe assumption," I agreed. "I'm curious to see how Pam reacts to her. She's never been one of those girls that wants to babysit or get anywhere near babies."

"She might not like her now, but maybe she'll react more when Amy's crawling around and easier to play with."

"Maybe," I shrugged. "Or maybe she'll treat her niece like a little Barbie doll come to life that she can dress up."

"Or that," she chuckled. "One thing's for sure, Amy is well-loved already."

"Very much so."

"How are you doing with all this?" she asked. "I can't believe I haven't bothered asking how you are."

"I'm good. You're healthy. Amy is healthy. I can't ask for anything more than that," I said.

At about thirteen weeks into her pregnancy Sookie was diagnosed with placenta previa, which just meant the placenta had attached at a bad spot in her uterus. There were risks associated with it, but it wasn't life or death. She was put on bedrest at thirty weeks just to be on the safe side so Amy wouldn't come too early, but a higher power had other plans. Sookie went into early labor, and when she started bleeding I was terrified that I was going to lose her. She ended up going to the emergency room in an ambulance, and she passed out on the way there.

She'd needed an emergency c-section to get Amy out. Sookie was only thirty-five weeks along, so Amy was a couple of weeks early, but she came out healthy and strong, just like her mother. I was lucky that both of them were okay. We'd had several talks about what we were going to do if it came down to making a choice between her and the baby, and try as I might I could never accept her insistence that I choose Amy over her. Even if she hated me for the rest of her life because of it, I just couldn't do it.

"We got lucky," she said quietly.

"Yeah, we did," I agreed, and laid a hand on her knee. "But the good thing is that this shouldn't happen again. You heard what the doctor said about this being just one of those chance things."

"I don't know. I feel like something is always going to go wrong now."

"Maybe," I said. "Or maybe this is just some higher power's way of testing us to make sure we really want it."

"Some test," she said.

"I think we passed, though," I smiled at her.

"I should hope so. I never want to go through that again. I thought I was going to lose her."

I nodded, but didn't say that I was more concerned about losing her. It's not that I don't love Amy, because I do but... hell, I don't know how to explain it without sounding like an asshole. Thankfully I didn't have to worry about it since someone was looking out for us, and both of my girls are safe and healthy.

"You know what all this means, right?" Sookie asked.

"Sook, they haven't perfected the male pregnancy yet," I joked and she rolled her eyes.

"Actually, I was thinking more that now we have a better idea of how long it'll be before we can make with the sex again," she said and wiggled her eyebrows.

"How do you even have the energy to think about it?" I asked her. Neither of us had slept much since Amy was born, and I hadn't slept at all in the first twenty-four hours.

"I've been thinking about it for weeks. We kind of got side-lined early."

"That's true."

"Oh no," she said. "Have you not been thinking about it at all?"

"Here and there. Not so much in the last four days, though."

"Well no, I haven't either in the last four days."

"Gotta love that immediate shift in priorities, huh?" I tried to smile but ended up yawning instead. The exhaustion was starting to catch up with me.

"Honey, take a nap," she said as she touched my cheek with her free hand. "She's just going to eat, burp, and go back to sleep anyway."

"I know, but I should get the stuff unpacked and eat something first," I said. "I'll get to it eventually."

"We're supposed to sleep when she does. You're no good to either of us if you're exhausted."

"I know, but she's not sleeping right now," I pointed out. "Don't worry, I promise I'll sleep."

"Then at least go get yourself some food so I don't feel like you're just staying awake for me."

"Yes, ma'am," I leaned forward and gave her a kiss before getting up to go grab a bowl of chicken and dumplings.

When I peeked into the bedroom Sookie had Amy on her shoulder with her eyes closed and a smile on her face as she burped the baby. I figured I'd give them a few minutes alone, and went to the couch to eat. The downside to that decision was that when I was finished, I didn't want to get up. But I forced myself to get up so I could put away the stuff Sookie had packed to take to the hospital. She had just packed the bag the week before, thankfully, or I wouldn't have known what the hell to bring.

By the time I was done with all of that I found Sookie lying on her side, facing my side of the bed. She'd put Amy down on the mattress so she'd be between the two of us. What else was new there? I kicked my shoes off and then got into bed as quietly as I could so I wouldn't wake Sookie if she was sleeping. I was more worried about her than I was myself. Amy turned her head so she was facing me and her eyes popped open. I smiled at her and reached for one of her little hands. She wrapped her fist around my finger again, and my thumb stroked over her teeny fingers.

When the nurse first handed Amy to me in the hospital I was afraid I was going to break her. She looked so fragile and small, but she was a lot stronger than I had anticipated. It boggled the mind to think that Sookie and I had created this little person that was resting between us. All of a sudden it really hit me that I was a father, and responsible for this child. I glanced at Sookie and was surprised to see her eyes were open as well. I'd thought she was sleeping.

"Hey," I whispered.

"She's pretty awesome, isn't she?"

"Best thing I ever did," I smiled at Amy.

"Ditto," she said, and reached for my hand.

"I love you, Sook," I said as I took her hand.

"I love you, too."

A brilliant idea flashed into my mind and I lifted Amy so she was lying on my chest over my heart. I turned my head toward Sookie and asked, "Think you can snuggle with your stitches, or will it hurt too much?"

She smiled and said, "As long as nothing is pressed up against them, I think I'll be fine."

I extended an arm and said, "Then come make yourself comfortable."

She snuggled up to me as best she could, and smiled. "This is nice. Our whole family on this bed."

"It's pretty comfortable," I smiled over at her. "Don't be offended if I fall asleep though."

"I won't. I might do just that too," she said and yawned.

"Good idea," I said, and closed my eyes. If Amy needed us, she'd wake us up. It would be hard to miss her with her lying there on my chest.

"Before I forget to tell you, thank you for being you," Sookie whispered.

"You too," I whispered back, and smiled when she kissed my chest.

"Goodnight."

"Night," I answer, but know we won't be asleep for long before the newest member of our little family wakes us up again.

* * *

**Thank you all for reading and we hope you enjoyed the ride. Makesmyheadspin says thanks to you all and thanks for being awesome :) She also said to thank you for not killing us for killing the baby. Really, thank you.  
**


End file.
